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Effects of Dyes on Survival of Bull Spermatozoa Stored in Yolk and Milk Extenders at 5 and –79 C

Department of Animal Husbandry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

ABSTRACT

Strawberry Shade Red, Emerald Shade Green, Purple Shade Grape, Brown, Lemon Yellow, and Blue certified food colors added to yolk-citrate-glycerol and skimmilk-glycerol extenders at the rate of 0.6 ml/100 ml of extender had no effect on sperm survival during a 30-day storage period at –79 C. The same concentration of all food colors excepting brown had no harmful effect on bull sperm stored for 12 days at 5 C in CUE, 50% yolk-citrate and skimmilk extenders. Brown food color was spermicidal (P < .01). When 0.2 ml of brown food color was added, the percentage of motile sperm after 1, 4, 8, and 12 days of storage in CUE was 62, 31, 7, and 3; in 50% yolk-citrate it was 65, 37, 12, and 5; and in skimmilk it was 64, 49, 15, and 4, respectively. These results were significantly lower than for the controls in CUE and 50% yolk-citrate (P < .01), but were an improvement over the higher concentration of brown food color. It appears that all food colors, at the levels tested, can be used as an aid in identification of frozen semen, but that brown food color may be injurious to bull sperm at 5 C, unless the concentration of this color is reduced to less than 0.2% by volume.

¹ Present address: College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines, College, Laguna, Philippines.