Role of Antioxidants in Fertility Preservation of Sperm - A Narrative Review

Overview

Journal Anim Biosci

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2022 Nov 18

PMID 36397685

Authors

Ahmad Yar Qamar

Muhammad Ilyas Naveed

Sanan Raza

Xun Fang

Pantu Kumar Roy

Seonggyu Bang

Bereket Molla Tanga

Islam M Saadeldin

Sanghoon Lee

Jongki Cho

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Male fertility is affected by multiple endogenous stressors, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), which greatly deteriorate the fertility. However, physiological levels of ROS are required by sperm for the proper accomplishment of different cellular functions including proliferation, maturation, capacitation, acrosomal reaction, and fertilization. Excessive ROS production creates an imbalance between ROS production and neutralization resulting in oxidative stress (OS). OS causes male infertility by impairing sperm functions including reduced motility, deoxyribonucleic acid damage, morphological defects, and enhanced apoptosis. Several in-vivo and in-vitro studies have reported improvement in quality-related parameters of sperm following the use of different natural and synthetic antioxidants. In this review, we focus on the causes of OS, ROS production sources, mechanisms responsible for sperm damage, and the role of antioxidants in preserving sperm fertility.

Citing Articles

Protective Effect of B1 and B12 Vitamins on Post-Thaw Sperm Quality Parameters and Seminal Plasma Antioxidant Status in Rams.

Tabatabaei Vakili S, Zeidi R, Nabhani R Vet Med Sci. 2025; 11(2):e70241.

PMID: 39912715 PMC: 11800371. DOI: 10.1002/vms3.70241.

The optimal combination of cooling and equilibration durations, along with the addition of melatonin, gamma-oryzanol, and canthaxanthin, for improving swamp buffalo semen cryopreservation quality.

Inyawilert W, Liao Y, Ndi O, Pradithera K, Saengtun A, Saengwong S Vet World. 2025; 17(12):2950-2956.

PMID: 39897372 PMC: 11784050. DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2950-2956.

Effects of Essential Oils as Antioxidant and Cryoprotective Agents in Improving Frozen and Thawed Human Sperm Criteria.

Goujet H, Kaarouch I, Malki A, Mbaye M, Cabry R, Louanjli N Antioxidants (Basel). 2025; 14(1).

PMID: 39857409 PMC: 11761269. DOI: 10.3390/antiox14010075.

Protective effects of Mito-TEMPO on ischemia-reperfusion injury in a mouse testicular torsion and detorsion model.

Mostahsan Z, Azizi S, Soleimanzadeh A, Shalizar-Jalali A Vet Res Forum. 2025; 15(12):665-672.

PMID: 39816632 PMC: 11729104. DOI: 10.30466/vrf.2024.2024815.4202.

Enhancing of Rabbit Sperm Cryopreservation with Antioxidants Mito-Tempo and Berberine.

Kuzelova L, Svoradova A, Balazi A, Vasicek J, Langraf V, Kolesarova A Antioxidants (Basel). 2024; 13(11).

PMID: 39594502 PMC: 11591075. DOI: 10.3390/antiox13111360.

References

Gvozdjakova A, Kucharska J, Dubravicky J, Mojto V, Singh R . Coenzyme Q₁₀, α-tocopherol, and oxidative stress could be important metabolic biomarkers of male infertility. Dis Markers. 2015; 2015:827941. PMC: 4355595. DOI: 10.1155/2015/827941. View

Vash N, Nadri P, Karimi A . Synergistic effects of myo-inositol and melatonin on cryopreservation of goat spermatozoa. Reprod Domest Anim. 2022; 57(8):876-885. DOI: 10.1111/rda.14131. View

Ijaz A, Ducharme R . Effect of various extenders and taurine on survival of stallion sperm cooled to 5 degrees C. Theriogenology. 1995; 44(7):1039-50. DOI: 10.1016/0093-691x(95)00290-o. View

Griveau J, Le Lannou D . Reactive oxygen species and human spermatozoa: physiology and pathology. Int J Androl. 1997; 20(2):61-9. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2605.1997.00044.x. View

Li Z, Lin Q, Liu R, Xiao W, Liu W . Protective effects of ascorbate and catalase on human spermatozoa during cryopreservation. J Androl. 2009; 31(5):437-44. DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.109.007849. View

Partyka A, Nizanski W, Bajzert J, Lukaszewicz E, Ochota M . The effect of cysteine and superoxide dismutase on the quality of post-thawed chicken sperm. Cryobiology. 2013; 67(2):132-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2013.06.002. View

Banday M, Lone F, Rasool F, Rashid M, Shikari A . Use of antioxidants reduce lipid peroxidation and improve quality of crossbred ram sperm during its cryopreservation. Cryobiology. 2017; 74:25-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2016.12.008. View

Palozza P, Krinsky N . Astaxanthin and canthaxanthin are potent antioxidants in a membrane model. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1992; 297(2):291-5. DOI: 10.1016/0003-9861(92)90675-m. View

Aitken R, Harkiss D, Knox W, Paterson M, Irvine D . A novel signal transduction cascade in capacitating human spermatozoa characterised by a redox-regulated, cAMP-mediated induction of tyrosine phosphorylation. J Cell Sci. 1998; 111 ( Pt 5):645-56. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.111.5.645. View

10.

Herrero M, Cebral E, Boquet M, Viggiano J, Vitullo A, Gimeno M . Effect of nitric oxide on mouse sperm hyperactivation. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Ther Latinoam. 1994; 44(3):65-9. View

11.

Leclerc P, de Lamirande E, Gagnon C . Cyclic adenosine 3',5'monophosphate-dependent regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in relation to human sperm capacitation and motility. Biol Reprod. 1996; 55(3):684-92. DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod55.3.684. View

12.

Mrsny R, Waxman L, Meizel S . Taurine maintains and stimulates motility of hamster sperm during capacitation in vitro. J Exp Zool. 1979; 210(1):123-8. DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402100113. View

13.

Yousefian I, Emamverdi M, Karamzadeh-Dehaghani A, Sabzian-Melei R, Zhandi M, Zare-Shahneh A . Attenuation of cryopreservation-induced oxidative stress by antioxidant: Impact of Coenzyme Q on the quality of post-thawed buck spermatozoa. Cryobiology. 2018; 81:88-93. DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2018.02.005. View

14.

Akmal M, Qadri J, Al-Waili N, Thangal S, Haq A, Saloom K . Improvement in human semen quality after oral supplementation of vitamin C. J Med Food. 2006; 9(3):440-2. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2006.9.440. View

15.

Alahmar A . The effects of oral antioxidants on the semen of men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Clin Exp Reprod Med. 2018; 45(2):57-66. PMC: 6030611. DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2018.45.2.57. View

16.

Hogarth C, Griswold M . The key role of vitamin A in spermatogenesis. J Clin Invest. 2010; 120(4):956-62. PMC: 2846058. DOI: 10.1172/JCI41303. View

17.

Scott R, Macpherson A, Yates R, Hussain B, DIXON J . The effect of oral selenium supplementation on human sperm motility. Br J Urol. 1998; 82(1):76-80. DOI: 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1998.00683.x. View

18.

OFlaherty C, Beorlegui N, Beconi M . Participation of superoxide anion in the capacitation of cryopreserved bovine sperm. Int J Androl. 2003; 26(2):109-14. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2605.2003.00404.x. View

19.

Talevi R, Barbato V, Fiorentino I, Braun S, Longobardi S, Gualtieri R . Protective effects of in vitro treatment with zinc, d-aspartate and coenzyme q10 on human sperm motility, lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2013; 11:81. PMC: 3765367. DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-11-81. View

20.

Dutta S, Majzoub A, Agarwal A . Oxidative stress and sperm function: A systematic review on evaluation and management. Arab J Urol. 2019; 17(2):87-97. PMC: 6600059. DOI: 10.1080/2090598X.2019.1599624. View