The Positive Effect of Antioxidants in Maintaining the Post-Cryopreserved Sperm Quality of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)

Rainbow trout aquaculture is challenging due to the restricted spawning seasons. Sperm cryopreservation technology can help ensure a successful spawning season, but its effectiveness is restricted by oxidative stress during freezing and thawing, which reduces the availability of male gametes. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of several types and concentrations of antioxidants on post-cryopreservation rainbow trout sperm quality. Subsequently, a factorial completely randomized design with three replications was applied, testing four types of antioxidants Ascorbic acid, Myo-inositol, Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and Alpha-tocopherol at concentrations of 0, 20, 40, and 60 mM, respectively. The evaluation parameters included motility rate, sperm lifespan, and sperm motion characteristics using the Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis system. The results showed that the type and concentration of antioxidants significantly affected sperm motility and sperm lifespan (P<0.05). The treatment method carried out using 40 mM Ascorbic acid and 20 mM BHT led to the highest sperm motility of 46.67% and sperm lifespan of 34 seconds. Although both antioxidants showed similar effectiveness, BHT at a concentration of 20 mM is more recommended due to its lower toxicity and technical as well as economic efficiency considerations.