Effect of different diluents on goat semen fertility

Skim milk (SM) is considered to be the most widely employed extender for goat sperm used for artificial insemination (AI). However, the fertilizing life span of sperm stored in milk or milk-based extenders does not exceed 12 h. Besides some seminal plasma components, such as a protein fraction from the goat bulbourethral gland secretion (SBUIII), interacts with some milk fractions and inhibits the spermatozoa motility. The aim of this study was to prolong the survival of buck semen and its fertility. Buck ejaculates were diluted to a final concentration of 100 × 106 spermatozoa/ml with three different diluents: SM, TEMPOL (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl) and TEMPOL + hyaluronic acid (TEMPOL + HA). At 7 h from dilution 42 goats were inseminated with semen diluted with SM (short-term semen) while after storage for 24 h, 44 and 45 goats were inseminated with semen diluted with TEMPOL and TEMPOL + HA (long-term storage), respectively. At day 50 from AI the percentages of pregnant goats were 71.4% (30/42) with SM, 61.4% (27/44) with TEMPOL and 48.8% (22/45) with TEMPOL + HA, with significant differences between SM and TEMPOL + HA. The kidding rate was 66.7% (28/42) with SM diluent, 61.4% (27/44) with TEMPOL and 48.8% (22/45) with TEMPOL + HA, without significant differences among treatment groups. In conclusion, it is possible to maintain good fertility in goats after AI with semen stored for 24 h in TEMPOL.