Background: The quality of cryopreserved buffalo semen is low due to high susceptibility of sperm membranes to cold shock.
Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of recombinant type-III antifreeze protein from the eel pout Macrozoarces americanus (rAFPIII) on freezability of buffalo semen.
Materials and methods: Semen was collected from three buffalo bulls for three weeks (replicates). Qualified ejaculates (N=18) were split into four aliquots and diluted in Tris-citric acid extender containing 0.0, 0.1, 1 and 10 µg mL-1 of rAFPIII. Semen was cooled to 4 C, evaluated for sperm motility and PMI, cryopreserved and assessed for post-thaw quality.
Results: Supplementation of the extender with rAFPIII didn't affect motility and PMI of chilled semen. Post-thaw sperm motility and PMI were higher in extender supplemented with rAFPIII (10µg mL-1) compared to control. Sperm viability and acrosome integrity remained the same.
Conclusion: Addition of rAFPIII in extender improved motility and PMI of cryopreserved buffalo semen.