Factors affecting the quality of boar semen stored by means of dialysis.

The effects of dialysis fluids containing blood serum, serum albumin or activated charcoal on the storage of boar serum were examined. The effects of antibiotics were also tested by including them in the dialysis fluids and semen samples. Undiluted semen was stored for 7 days at 15 degrees C by means of dialysis across a cellulose membrane. A combination of sulbenicillin and streptomycin was superior to that of penicillin and streptomycin in reducing bacteria and maintaining sperm motility and normal acrosomes. Serum albumin exerted a beneficial effect on the stored spermatozoa which may be due to its capacity to adsorb the metabolic products from bacteria and spermatozoa; it could be replaced with activated charcoal.