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Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 51 No. 9 1426-1428
© 1968 by American Dairy Science Association ®
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Fertility of Bull Semen with Added Amylase1

K. T. Kirton2, L. J. Boyd and H. D. Hafs

Dairy Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing

ABSTRACT

Alpha- or ß-amylase was added to yolk-citrate-glycerol semen extender to determine effects on sperm motility and fertility. Motility trials revealed no harmful effect of either type of amylase at levels of 1 or 10 µg per ml during storage at 5 C for one week. Nor did ß-amylase, at similar concentrations, depress motility during post-thawing storage at 5 C for three days.

Consequently, 200 ejacula from 31 bulls were used to determine fertility of sperm with 0, 1, or 10 µg of {alpha}- or ß-amylase per milliliter of semen extender. Other than addition of amylase, semen was processed, frozen (–195 C) and used according to routine procedures. The 60- to 90-day nonreturn percentages and numbers of first services (in parentheses) were 68.1 (4,294), 69.0 (3,807), 72.1 (4,770), 71.1 (4,684) and 70.7 (4,336) for control, 1 µg {alpha}-amylase, 10 µg {alpha}-amylase, 1 µg ß-amylase, and 10 µg ß-amylase, respectively. Average fertility for semen with amylase (70.7%) was significantly greater than that for controls (P ~= 0.04). The high level of {alpha}-amylase resulted in higher fertility than the low level (P ~= 0.06), but no such difference was apparent between the two levels of ß-amylase. The results suggest that amylase may have affected sperm capacitation or that amylase may beneficially influence substrate availability for sperm metabolism.

FOOTNOTES

1 Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Article no. 4286. Supported by USPHS research grants GM 10584 and HD 03039.

2 NIH Predoctoral Fellow. Present address: Reproductive Physiology Section, The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan.






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