CALCIUM ALGINATE CAPSULES CONTAINING A HYDROPHILIC POLYMER FOR THE ENCAPSULATION OF SWINE SPERMATOZOA

A preparation method of calcium alginate beads containing swine sperma tozoa was developed. A suspension usually employed for artificial inse mination and containing living spermatozoa, to which was added hydroxy propylmethylcellulose and calcium chloride, was dropped into a sodium alginate solution. Calcium ions diffusing out of the droplets, reacted with the sodium alginate, lending to the formation of a water-insolub le calcium alginate gel membrane. Half of the capsules obtained was cr oss-linked by interfacial polymerization using an aqueous solution of protamine sulphate. The two kinds of capsules (cross-linked and not) c ontaining spermatozoa were their transferred to a suitable extender fo r swine sperm and their morphology (scanning electron microscope) and in vitro sperm viability (survival time, motility and acrosomal integr ity) was studied.