Review Article
Semen extenders and artificial insemination in ruminants
Fawad Ur Rehman, Chunquo Zhao, Muhammad Ali Shah, Muhammad Subhan Qureshi, Xuemei Wang*
a State key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
b Department of Livestock Management, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Abstract
Artificial insemination is one of the important tools for genetic improvement in modern dairy breeding practices and it is only
possible with efficient extender. Extender has a vital role in the preservation of sperm cell and its quality parameters such as
viability, motility, acrosome and membrane integrity etc. Semen extenders contain buffering system to maintain pH of the
medium (Tris, sodium phosphate, citric acid), cryoshock preservatives (glycerin, egg yolk, soy-lecithin, milk), provide energy
(fructose) and guarantee the microbial free environment i.e. antibiotics (streptomycin, penicillin, polymixin B). Here, in this
review we will focus on the effects of different extender ingredients used for dilution of semen in ruminants to achieve Artificial
insemination (AI).
Key Words: Semen extenders, Artificial insemination, Ruminants, Genetic improvement
Received June 05, 2013; Revised August 08, 2013; Accepted August 13, 2013
*Corresponding author: Xuemei Wang; E-mail: xuewang@seu.edu.cn
