M Heydari - Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
B Qasemi-Panahi - Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Gh Moghaddam - Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
H Daghigh-Kia - Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
R Masoudi - Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

This research examined the influence of the addition of L-carnitine (LC) to cooling medium on buck’s semen quality during cooling storage periods at ۴oC. Semen samples were collected, diluted, assigned into four groups, and received LC (۰, ۱, ۵, and ۱۰ mM LC). The samples were then chilled to ۴oC and stores for ۴۸ h. Sperm total motility, progressive motility, viability, lipid peroxidation, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial activity were examined at ۰, ۲۴, and ۴۸ h of cooling storage. At time ۰ of cooling storage, different treatments showed no impact on the quality of sperm samples (P>۰.۰۵). During ۲۴ and ۴۸ h of chilling periods, the supplementation of cooling medium with ۵ mM LC presented greater motility, viability, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial activity (P≤۰.۰۵), compared to the other groups. Moreover, the treatment of ۵ mM LC caused lower lipid peroxidation (P≤۰.۰۵) than the other treatments at ۲۴ and ۴۸ h storage times. In conclusion, the supplementation of buck’s cooling storage medium with ۵ mM LC is a suitable way to protect buck spermatozoa during ۲۴ and ۴۸ h storage against cold-induced structural and functional damages.

Buck, Cooling, L-carnitine, Quality evaluation, SPERMATOZOA