Cysteamine and β-mercaptoethanol supplementation improves the in vitro embryo development in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of cysteamine and P-mercaptoethanol supplementation on in-vitro maturation, cleavage of oocytes and development of embryo in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Oocytes were aspirated from abattoir ovarian follicles of 3–10 mm diameter followed by maturation in the media in vitro containing cysteamine/p-mercaptoethanol (treatment) and without antioxidant (control). Matured oocytes were co-incubated with sperm (approx.1×106/ml) of Murrah bull in mSOF medium using heparin (10 μg/ml). After 22 h of oocyte-sperm incubation, fertilized oocytes were stripped of cumulus cells and cultured in mSOF medium for 8 days to study embryo development. The oocyte maturation rate improved significantly (P<0.05) following addition of 50 or 100 μM of cysteamine and 10, 50 and 100 μM of P-mercaptoethanol (ME), respectively as compared to control. The cleavage rate was found to be significantly (P<0.05) higher at 50 and 100 μM of cysteamine and at all concentrations ofb-mercaptoethanol as compared to control and development of embryos to morula stage was significantly (P<0.05) improved with 50 μM cysteamine/p-mercaptoethanol.