Background: The present study investigated the effects of epidermal growth factors
(EGF) and/or b-Mercaptoethanol (bME) supplementations to oocyte maturation,
fertilization, and culture media on the buffalo in vitro embryo production. Methods: The
ovaries were collected and transferred within 2 h to the laboratory. The cumulus
oocytes complexes were aspirated from 3 to 8mm diameter follicles. Firstly, EGF;
0, 10, 20, or 50 ng/mL or bME; 0, 25, 50, 100, or 200μM were supplemented
to the in vitro maturation (TCM-199), fertilization (IVF-TALP), or culture (IVC:
SOF) media. Results: Our results revealed that supplementing EGF (20 ng/mL) to the Q22
TCM-199, IVF-TALP, or SOF media could efficiently improve the growth rates
and development of buffalos’ embryos, while EGF (50 ng/mL) could stimulate
the embryo production only after treatment of the IVF-TALP /or SOF media, but
not the IVM medium. However, bME was less efficient than EGF; it stimulated
the growth rates of buffalo embryos when supplemented with the maturation
and fertilization (IVF-TALP) media in a 50μM concentration. Secondly, combined
EGF (20 ng/mL) and bME (50μM) were supplemented to the maturation media
as effective concentration. Conclusion: The combined treatment of EGF (20 ng/mL) and bME
(50μM) showed no significant enhancing effect on the buffalo embryos compared
to each alone. For future perspectives, further study is required to examine the
effects of combined EGF and bME on the maturation and fertilization of buffalo
oocytes at different categories of age and seasonal localities.