Aquaculture Research, cilt.2026, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Egg yolks derived from various avian species have been widely applied as cryoprotective additives in mammalian sperm preservation; however, their efficacy in fish sperm cryopreservation remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study evaluated the cryoprotective effects of quail (Coturnix coturnix), chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) egg yolks incorporated at a 10% concentration into a Tris-based extender for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) sperm cryopreservation. In addition, the extender was supplemented with 10% concentrations of different permeating cryoprotectants (CPAs)—dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methanol (MeOH), and glycerol—to assess their effects on post-thaw sperm quality and fertilization capacity. The results indicated that a 10% concentration of DMSO, when combined with each egg yolk type separately, provided the most effective cryoprotective effect, significantly enhancing motility, motility duration, and viability (p < 0.05) compared to MeOH and glycerol. The highest mean fertilization rates of 48.2% ± 1.5% and 52.6% ± 1.7% were achieved using the Tris-based extender with 10% DMSO and 10% chicken egg yolk in 0.25-mL and 0.50-mL straws, respectively (p < 0.05). According to the results of this study, the extender containing chicken egg yolk showed significantly better (p < 0.05) post-thaw quality parameters and fertility results for the Nile tilapia sperm compared to those of quail and turkey.