A Synthetic Pabulum for the Preservation of Bull Semen

Abstract

The addition of blood-fibrin, or arginine, was without measureable effect upon motility of sperm. Glucose additions in concns. of 0.02-0.04 [image] improved, in most cases, the storage of bull semen environed in egg yolk-buffer. Freshly purified lecithin, or lipositol from crude soybean lecithin free of free fats or fatty acids with 0.04 [image] glucose, or with a mixture of 0.02 [image] galactose and 0.04 [image] glucose provided a highly effective pabulum for the storage of the sperm. In many expts., a combination of galactose and glucose (concn. indicated above) was superior to glucose alone. Inositol in 0.05-0.1 [image] solns. and in combination with glucose and galactose likewise benefited sperm motility. The addition of certain gums was beneficial while gum damar and gum guaiac were definitely toxic. Certain antibiotics as well as certain of the sulfonamides were effective in controlling bacterial growth without impairment of sperm survival. On the basis of these data, a synthetic pabulum for bull sperm storage may be used. Its essential ingredients should include freshly purified lipids, specific sugars[long dash]glucose and galactose, a buffer system, a gum to supply the proper physical consistency and an agent to control bacterial contamination.