BACKGROUND There is some controversy about the extent of changes in different sperm cell features in stored boar semen, especially regarding the potential role of the DNA fragmentation assay for assessment of sperm fertilizing ability. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of time of storage and the dynamic changes in sperm cell characteristics in normospermic boar semen stored in long...

Currently, boars selected for commercial use as AI sires are evaluated on grow-finish performance and carcass characteristics. If AI sires were also evaluated and selected on semen production, it may be possible to reduce the number of boars required to service sows, thereby improving the productivity and profitability of the boar stud. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic correl...

The main objective of this study was to isolate high-quality total ribonucleic acid (RNA) from raw fresh semen and frozen-thawed boar semen, using a protocol comprising the conventional TRIzol assay and a membrane-based technique, the PureLink RNA mini kit. Bioanalyzer profile revealed that the sperm RNA size distributions comprised mainly intact RNA ranging from 1500 to 1800 bp, without any de...

Artificial insemination (AI) is the preferred method for reproduction in the majority of the intensive pig production systems Worldwide. To this end, fresh extended ready-to-use semen doses are either purchased from AI-centres or produced by boars kept on-farm. For profitable semen production, it is necessary to obtain a maximum amount of high quality semen from each boar. This paper reviews cu...

Pig breeding is mainly conducted through Artificial Insemination (AI) in Western and developing countries. Apart from requiring specific catheters and trained staff, preserving boar semen in proper conditions is needed to ensure high reproductive performances. Although, at present, boar sperm may be preserved in liquid (15-17oC) or frozen states, more than 95% of AIs are conducted using liquid ...

Background Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is known to protect boar sperm during freezing–thawing, but little information is known about the effects of LDL extracted from different avian egg yolks on post-thaw boar semen quality. The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the effects of LDL at various concentrations and different species on boar sperm quality after freezing–thawing. Ma...

The aim of this study was to investigate the eff ect of boar age on quality traits and fertility of liquid-stored semen. Boars were allocated into 3 age groups: 7-10 months (young), 18-33 months (mature), 51-61 months (old). Ejaculates of ≥ 200x106 sperm/ml and 85% total motile sperm were extended to 30x106 sperm/ml, stored at 17-18 °C and used within 12-24 h for artifi cial insemination (AI) o...

For artificial insemination (AI), boar semen is prepared in rather simple extenders, kept at 16-20°C and usually used in liquid form for up to 3 days from extension. Routine freezing of boar semen is occasionally used for gene banking, replacement of lost genetics or long-distance transport [1]. The reason behind this meagre use of freezing is the low tolerance of the ejaculated boar sperm to c...

There are various advantages, such as the preservation of genetic resources, an improvement of the reproduction performance in summer, long-distance transportation of semen and the possibility of progeny test, in the cryopreservation technique of boar semen. However, cryopreserved boar spermatozoa have not been routinely available to swine artificial insemination (AI) due to the lower conceptio...

The effect of gelatin addition to the semen extender on the viability and acrosome integrity of rabbit spermatozoa was studied. Pooled semen samples were processed in a boar semen extender with or without gelatin addition. Semen samples were stored at 5 degrees C for 72 h. Viability and acrosome integrity was evaluated by light microscope. Results showed that gelatin addition had a significant ...