FREEZABILITY, SOME BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES AND FERTILITY RATE IN THE MALE DROMEDARY CAMEL SPERMATOZOA ADDED WITH GLYCINE BETAINE

Eight Fellahi camels (<5-10 years old) were used in the present study. Semen was collected and diluted with Lactose-yolk-citrate (LYC) exterder and cooling to 5°C. Glycerol was added at a level of 6% and left at 5°C added with glycine betaine (GB) at levels of 100 or 200mM for 2 hrs as equilibration period and then packaging and freezing in straws (0.5 ml). After freezing, frozen-semen was thawed in a water bath at 37°C for 40 seconds and incubated at this temperature for 3 hrs. The percentages of post-thaw motility, freezability and fertility rates and some biochemical changes in the male camels were recorded added with G.B, during thawingincubation at 37°C for 3 hrs. The obtained results revealed that the percentages of post-thaw motility and freezability were significantly (P<0.05) higher, while the percentages of acrosome damage and chromatin damage were significantly (P<0.05) lower of the frozen-thawed camel spermatozoa added with GB than free-GB medium during thawing incubation at 37°C. The advancement of thawingincubation at 37°C showed significantly (P<0.05) lower the percentages of post-thaw motility and freezability, while significantly (P<0.05) higher the percentages of acrosome damage and chromatin damage in the dromedary camel spermatozoa during thawing-incubation at 37°C for
3 hrs. Leakage of aspartate-amino transaminase (AST), alanine-amino transaminase (ALT) and malondialdhyde (MDA) enzymes into the extracellular medium was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the frozen-thawed camel spermatozoa added with GB than free-GB medium during thawing-incubation times at 37°C for 3 hrs. The conception rates showed significantly (P<0.05) increased of she-camels artificially inseminated in the fresh semen (75.00%) as compared to frozen-thawed semen (free-GB medium, (37.50%), frozen-thawed semen added with 100mM GB (56.25%) and 200mM GB (52.94%). In conclusion, post-thaw motility (%), freezability (%), enzymatic activity and fertility rates (%) of the camel spermatozoa added with GB were better than free GB medium