The freezing ability of semen from Alpine and Saanen goats submitted to an artificial photoperiod exposure were evaluated by the thermo-resistance (TTR) and hypoosmotic (HOST) tests and integrity of the acrosome using eight male goats, four of each breed and two age groups (young and adults). The quality of semen during the freezing process was superior for the young animals of both breeds. Spermatic motility immediately after thawing showed a positive effect on TTR; animals with higher motility after collection (86.2% vs 79.3%) and after thawing (37.7% vs. 32.0%) had a higher seminal longevity. Both fresh and frozen semen did not differ between breeds and ages by the HOST test. There was a 14% decrease (P<0.05) in HOST values for frozen semen compared the fresh semen (38.0 vs. 52.0%, respectively). The spermatic progressive mobility was more sensible to cryopreservation than the integrity of the spermatic membrane, indicating that spermatic mobility is more affected by the frozen process than the plasmatic membrane. The level of acrosome damage (edema, partial and total detachment) was acceptable (44.5%) after thawing and after finishing the TTR.
acrosome integrity; freezing; goats; hypoosmotic test; semen; thermo-resistance
