ABSTRACT
White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a neotropical mammal classified as vulnerable due to overhunting and habitat destruction. Due to the low reproduction success in captivity, assisted reproduction techniques can be used in re-stocking programs. Therefore, we aimed to identify the best hyposmotic swelling test (HOST) to evaluate the functional integrity of peccary sperm. Semen samples of four adult males were collected with the aid of an electroejaculator after physical contention, sedation and anesthesia protocols. The semen was evaluated for macro and microscopic characteristics and diluted in the following hyposmotic solutions: distilled water (0mOsmol/L), sucrose (50, 100, 150mOsm/L) and fructose (50, 100, 150mOsm/L). Each sample was incubated in duplicate and one was fixed in 4% formalized sodium citrate solution. Two hundred spermatozoa were evaluated from each sample and classified as reactive or not- reactive to HOST. There were similar proportions of reactive and functional sperm regardless of whether the sample was fixed or not fixed (P> 0.05). Therefore, distilled water can be used as HOST to evaluate the functional integrity of white-lipped peccary sperm because it shows similar results and it is a cheaper test.
Keywords:
white-lipped peccary; semen; hyposmotic test
