ISSN:
1749-7345
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract.— This study was designed to simulate conditions encountered routinely during refrigerated storage of channel catfish sperm. Sperm samples were stored at 4 C in non-sterile and sterile Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS). Non-sterile HBSS was prepared with distilled water stored for 2 wk in a plastic carboy prior to use. Observations were made on the frequency and abundance of bacteria in samples, and on changes in sperm motility and quality. Sperm samples stored in non-sterile HBSS had a complete loss of motility within 72 h. Samples maintained in sterile HBSS showed an initial decrease in motility between 48 and 72 h, and a complete loss of motility within 10 d. Quality of the sperm in each buffer decreased as motility decreased; morphologic changes and reduced motility of sperm were coincident with increased bacterial numbers. Bacteria were cultured on tryptic soy agar and Pseudomonas F agar (PFA) by spread-plating 10–μL aliquots from each sample onto bacteriologic media and incubating for 5 d. The dominant bacteria observed were members of the genus Pseudomonas, representing 67% of the total bacteria identified. The dominant pseudomonad (Pseudomonas sp.) cultured from sperm samples stored in sterile buffer produced caseinase, lecithinase, and was β-hemolytic, whereas the dominant bacteria (P. putida) cultured from samples stored in the non-sterile buffers did not. Highly motile pseudomonads, present in two samples stored in sterile buffer, colonized below the surface of the PFA media at 4 C. The attributes of the bacterial contaminants that likely contributed to the decrease in sperm quality were production of extracellular enzymes, consumption of oxygen, and a high level of motility. Potential sources of degradative bacteria were commensal flora of channel catfish and the water used in preparing the storage buffer.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-7345.1997.tb00644.x
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