Evaluation of equine semen frozen in extenders free of egg yolk using two different freezing curves

A chemically defined cryopreservation extender that maintains seminal parameters is relevant. Fifteen ejaculates from 5 stallions (n= 5; r=3) were diluted in 5 extenders: 1) EDTA-glucose based extender with egg-yolk and dimethylformamide (EY); 2) commercial equine extender (CE); 3) CE with dimethylformamide (CE-3); 4) bovine commercial extender with liposomes (OP); 5) bovine commercial extender with soybean lecithin (BIO), and frozen using a slow and a rapid temperature descent curve. Post-thaw evaluations were: sperm kinematic parameters, viability and acrosome status, membrane lipoperoxidation and DNA fragmentation. Sperm data were analysed using an ANOVA or Friedman test (results mean ± SD). Paired comparison between the two freezing curves was analysed using the Wilcoxon test. Total and progressive motility were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the EY and CE-3 samples using the slow curve, whereas for the fast curve, total and progressive motility were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the EY samples compared to all the extenders and the samples frozen in CE-3 were significantly higher than the remaining extenders (P<0.05). The percentages of live acrosome intact sperm and of live non-peroxidized sperm were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the EY extender when using either of the freezing curves and in turn, were significantly higher (P<0.05) in samples frozen in CE-3 compared to the remaining extenders. Intact DNA was significantly lower (P<0.05) in the BIO extender, using the rapid curve. To conclude, the commercial equine extender with 3% dimethylformamide, without egg-yolk, could be a suitable alternative for extenders with egg-yolk.