Antibiotics in Semen Diluters
Antibiotics in semen diluters refers to the practice of adding antimicrobial agents to semen extenders (diluters) used for preserving and transporting semen for artificial insemination (AI) in animals.
Many of the organisms present in the semen are pathogenic. Organisms which are contagious and can infect cow through contaminated semen include Brucella abortus, Vibrio fetus, Trichomonasfetus, Leptospirapomona, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and viral agents that cause Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), and Foot and Mouth disease.
Refrigeration greatly suppresses the multiplication of organisms, but does not necessarily stop it. Some of the following organisms that survive the freezing temperature of -196ºC are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Trichomonas fetus, Foot and Mouth Virus and Infectious Pustular Vulvovaginitis virus.
Penicillin and Streptomycin are the two antibiotics widely used since 1950 and are still in use. They are found to be relatively harmless to sperm cells and particularly in combination, inhibited a broad spectrum of microorganisms.
500-1000 I.U of crystalline penicillin-G and 500-1000 microgram of Dihydro-streptomycin per milliliter of extended semen is adequate for routine use.
Procaine penicillin is toxic to the spermatozoa.
Antibiotics will not completely eliminate Corynebacterium pyogenes, Brucella, Trichomonas fetus, Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas and they will have no effect on viruses, rickettsiae and fungus. Addition of glycerol further reduces the efficiency of antibiotics.
