Background The collection of ovaries from slaughterhouses is an important source of oocytes for in vitro embryo production. On the other hand, the physiological stage of slaughtered females varies and influences embryo production. Objectives The study examined the in vitro efficiency of embryos and demi-embryos from young, non-pregnant adult, and pregnant adult ewes from a local slaughterhouse. Methods One thousand three hundred ovaries were collected from August to October 2020. The recovered oocytes were matured, fertilized, and cultured at 5% CO 2 , 38.5°C, and 100% humidity. Embryo bisection was performed in 96 blastocysts (n = 32 per treatment). The demi-embryo pairs were incubated for their reconstitution for 12 h. SAS was used for data analysis. Results The number of oocytes collected from the experimental group of non-pregnant adult ewes was higher ( p ≤ 0.007) than those collected from the group of pregnant adult ewes (2.67 ± 0.19 vs. 2.18 ± 0.15 oocytes/group, respectively). The blastocyst rate was higher ( p ≤ 0.0001) in the non-pregnant adult group (36.39%) than in the young (17.96%). The ratio of demi-embryos that recovered the blastocoelic cavity was higher ( p < 0.05) in the young group (81.25%) than in the pregnant adult group (59.38%). The diameter of the demi-embryos was higher ( p < 0.05) in the non-pregnant adult group (186.54 ± 8.70 μm) than those in the young and pregnant adult groups. Conclusions In conclusion, the in vitro embryo production efficiency was highest when using oocytes from non-pregnant adult ewes under the conditions of this study.
For many years it has been sought to increase the reproductive efficiency of livestock using biotechnologies such as embryo bisection. However, despite its potential in livestock, its level of adoption is limited. The present work reviews the importance of demi-embryo reconstitution, after bisection, and the main factors that limit its success in livestock. It is possible to increase its level of adoption if it is possible to increase the efficiency currently obtained with this technique, this can be achieved by making a more precise selection of the embryos subjected to bisection. Embryo quality is one of the most important factors related to the potential to reconstitute into viable demi-embryos after bisection, which can be used with greater reliability in embryo transfer programs.
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