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A soy lecithin nanoparticles-based extender effectively cryopreserves Holstein bull sperm
Seyyed Mojtaba Mousavi1, Armin Towhidi1, Mahdi Zhandi1
1Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
Animal Reproduction Science
|September 7, 2023
Summary
Nano-lecithin (NL) significantly improved bull sperm cryopreservation. The optimal concentration of 3% nano-lecithin (NL3) enhanced motility, viability, and velocity, showing comparable results to egg yolk extenders.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Reproductive Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Plant-based semen extenders offer advantages in consistency and modulation over animal-based options.
- Large lecithin particles can negatively impact solubility and effectiveness in bovine semen extenders.
- Sonication technology was employed to reduce soybean lecithin particle size, creating nano-lecithin (NL).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of lecithin type and concentration on the quality of frozen-thawed bovine sperm.
- To test the hypothesis that reduced lecithin particle size enhances sperm-extender interactions, improving motility, viability, and fertility.
- To compare the efficacy of nano-lecithin (NL) with conventional lecithin and established extenders.
Main Methods:
- Semen from Holstein bulls was cryopreserved using Tris-based extenders with varying concentrations (1-4%) of conventional lecithin or nano-lecithin (NL).
- Control extenders included egg yolk (EY) and a commercial lecithin-based extender (BioXcell®).
- Sperm quality parameters (motility, velocity, viability, mitochondrial activity) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes (cleavage, hatching, blastocyst rates) were assessed.
Main Results:
- The 3% nano-lecithin extender (NL3) demonstrated superior total and progressive sperm motility, and velocity, comparable to egg yolk (EY).
- Sperm mitochondrial activity was highest in NL3, while sperm viability was highest in EY, NL3, and conventional lecithin at 4% (L4).
- In IVF, NL3 achieved cleavage and hatching rates similar to BioXcell®, but a lower blastocyst rate than EY.
Conclusions:
- Reducing lecithin particle size to the nano-level significantly enhances bovine sperm cryopreservation.
- An optimal concentration of 3% nano-lecithin (NL3) provides benefits for sperm quality and cryosurvival.
- Nano-lecithin extenders show promise as effective alternatives to traditional egg yolk and commercial extenders in bull semen preservation.
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