Effect of Raffinose and Trehalose on sperm parameters in buffalo bulls after thawing

The study was designed to investigate the effect of Raffinose and Trehalose on sperm parameters in buffalo bulls after thawing. For this purpose, 20 ejaculates were collected from four buffalo bulls in Northwest Buffalo Research Center. Samples with excellent quality and more than 70% visual sperm motility were diluted at 37◦C in Bioxcell extender with addition of (0, 25 and 75 mM) of Raffinose and (0, 25 and 75 mM) Trehalose. The diluted semen was equilibrated at 4◦C within 4 hours. Then, filled in 0.5 ml French straws and were subjected to cooling condition before being plunged into liquid nitrogen. Semen was thawed at 37◦C for 40 seconds after two weeks of storage inside liquid nitrogen. Sperm motility and some quality parameters of each frozen semen sample were assessed after thawing by warm plate phasecontrast microscope and by CASA evaluation. In general, the results showed that the addition of 0, 25 and 75 mM raffinose and trehalose and interaction of raffinose in trehalose into the Bioxcell extender for freezing buffalo semen did not improved the motility of spermatozoa and some quality parameters after thawing (P>0.05).