Effect of β-mercaptoethanol and buffalo follicular fluid on fertilization and subsequent embryonic development of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes derived from in vitro maturation

Abstract

This study investigated effects of β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) and buffalo follicular fluid (buFF) on IVF and embryonic development of water buffalo oocytes derived from IVM. In Experiment 1, β-ME (50μM and 100μM, treatments) was added in the media during IVM and IVC but not IVF. A highly significant difference was obtained in rate of blastocyst (9.26% Vs 26.72% or 27.04%, P0.05) were observed in rates of cleavage, blastocyst and hatched blastocyst between two treatment groups, respectively. In Experiment 2, comparison with 10% FBS, significant and highly significant differences were recorded in rate of blastocyst in 5% FBS + 5% buFF (17.16% vs 27.64%, P<0.05)and 10% buFF (17.16% vs 32.98%, P<0.01), respectively. These results indicate that supplementation of β-ME in IVM and IVC and replacement of FBS with buFF in IVM media improve remarkably the development of water buffalo embryos derived from IVM-IVF to the blastocyst stage.

Keywords

• β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME), Follicular fluid, Oocyte, Water buffalo