In vitro Production of Goat Embryos Using a Natural Substance as the Capacitation Agent

A sulfated gfycoconjugate, named as S-ACT-1, extracted from a red marine algae (Gzlidiella acerosa) found in the Southern coast of Sri Lanka, has been reported for improving-motility of ejaculated human spermatozoa. This study was designed to assess the efficacy of S-ACT-1 on goat sperm capacitation and to establish complete _ vitro maturation (IVM), fertilization (IVF) and culture (IVC) procedures for goat oocytes using S-ACT-1 as the sperm capacitation agent. It was found thit S-ACT-1 can be used as a goat sperm capacitation agent at a concentratior, of 20 pg/ml Slaughter house ovaries were used and average number of oocytes recovered from aspiration and slicing techniques were 1.9 and 5.0, respectively. Fertilized goat ova using S-ACT-1 as the sperm capacitation aget>t were cultured upto the blastocyst stage in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) culture medium. The survival rate at blastocyst stage was 25%. A significant interaction between capacitation agents and concentrations could te observed in 4-cell, 8-cell and morula stages of development. ,. u Department of Veterin iry Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science. Universiti Puira Malaysia, 43400, UPM, Malaysia. Department of Veterin iry Pre-Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Univi rsity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Department of Crop Sc ience. Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. In vitro Production of Goat Embryos