Table 3 Boar sperm characteristics and bacterial contamination in NO-ANTIBIOTIC and ANTIBIOTIC groups on days 1, 2 and 3 of storage (least square means ± SEM)

Total sperm motility (%)

0

72.5 ± 3.6

74.0 ± 3.6

0.370

1

67.5 ± 3.6

69.1 ± 3.6

0.351

2

63.7 ± 3.6

65.5 ± 3.6

0.279

3

58.5 ± 3.6

61.4 ± 3.6

0.094

Sperm viability (%)

0

76.9 ± 2.2

78.2 ± 2.2

0.191

1

73.0 ± 2.2

74.1 ± 2.2

0.243

2

69.8 ± 2.2

70.8 ± 2.2

0.298

3

67.2 ± 2.2

68.0 ± 2.2

0.416

Acrosome integrity (%)

0

82.4 ± 1.8

83.0 ± 1.8

0.406

1

80.4 ± 1.8

80.7 ± 1.8

0.712

2

76.6 ± 1.8

78.3 ± 1.8

0.044

3

74.7 ± 1.8

76.2 ± 1.8

0.054

Sperm membrane integrity (%)

0

65.0 ± 2.8

65.5 ± 2.9

0.701

1

58.4 ± 2.9

59.6 ± 2.9

0.338

2

54.2 ± 2.9

55.7 ± 2.9

0.289

3

51.1 ± 2.9

52.1 ± 2.9

0.472

Sperm mitochondrial activity (%)

0

72.7 ± 2.9

73.6 ± 2.9

0.404

1

69.8 ± 2.9

70.9 ± 2.9

0.336

2

66.1 ± 2.9

66.7 ± 2.9

0.607

3

62.1 ± 2.9

62.9 ± 2.9

0.521

Total bacterial count

(CFU/mL, log₁₀)

0

2.9 ± 0.2

2.0 ± 0.2

< 0.001

1

3.2 ± 0.2

2.0 ± 0.2

< 0.001

2

4.3 ± 0.2

1.9 ± 0.2

< 0.001

3

5.3 ± 0.2

1.9 ± 0.2

< 0.001