The lipids of buffalo spermatozoa and seminal plasma

Abstract

Lipids were extracted from the spermatozoa and seminal plasma of buffalo and were analysed by column and thin-layer chromatography. Buffalo spermatozoa (10(9) cells) contained 1-15 mg total lipids, 0-285 mg neutral lipids, 0-396 mg glycolipids, 0-547 mg phospholipids and 0-015 mg gangliosides. The corresponding values for 1 ml seminal plasma were: 1-50, 0-439, 0-581, 0-594 and 0-010 mg. The sperm neutral lipids were comprised of 3-2% hydrocarbons, 4-5% cholesterol esters, 46-7% triglycerides, 17-5% 1,3-diglycerides, 3-1% 1,2-diglycerides, 17-6% cholesterol, 0-6% free fatty acids and 2-4% monoglycerides. The corresponding values for seminal plasma were: 4-2, 6-2, 33-0, 19-8, 4-2, 18-5, 3-8 and 4-7%. In the sperm phospholipids, there was 30-4% phosphatidyl choline; 19-4% phosphatidal choline; 10-8% phosphatidyl ethanolamine; 3-4% phosphatidal ethanolamine; 11-3% sphingomyelin; 1-5% phosphatidyl serine; 0-6% phosphatidyl inositol; 3-9% lysophosphatidyl choline; 4-4% lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine; 0-7% lysophosphatidyl serine; 5-5% diphosphatidyl glycerol and 0-3% phosphatidic acid. The corresponding values for seminal plasma were: 21-7, 17-3, 11-7, 4-1, 13-1, 2-8, 3-9, 5-6, 1-0, 7-4 and 0-5%. Comparative data for bull spermatozoa and seminal plasma were also obtained.