The Total Antioxidant Power of Semen and Its Correlation with the Fertility Potential of Human Male Subjects

Abstract

Background: There are growing evidences that the damage which is caused to the spermatozoa by the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) plays a key role in the male infertility. The seminal plasma is endowed with many enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants which protect the spermatozoa against oxidative stress.The present study was undertaken by using a simple, colourimetric, ferric reducing, antioxidant power for assessing the total antioxidant power rather than the individual antioxidants. The measurement of the individual antioxidants in the seminal plasma, such as Superoxide Dismutase, Vitamin E, etc. is time consuming, which often requires sophisticated and expensive techniques and these measurements may not correlate with the quality of semen. Aim:To evaluate the total antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma by estimating the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) of semen in different groups of subjects and to correlate it with the different seminogram parameters. Material and Methods:The semen samples were obtained from 150 male partners of infertile couples who attended the Reproductive Biology Unit (Infertility Clinic) of the Department of Physiology, MGIMS, Sevagram, who were aged 20-58 years and they were analyzed for the routine seminogram parameters. All the subjects were categorized into two main groups, A. The subjects with abnormal ejaculates, who were further sub classified into the following groups i) Asthenoteratozoospermics (n=25) ii) Oligoasthenoteratozoospermics (n=26) and iii) Azoospermics (n=19) and B. The subjects with normal ejacu lates (n=80). The total antioxidant power was measured spectro photometrically by using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. Results:The Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) was found to be significantly lower in the abnormal ejaculates than in the normal ejaculates. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the TAC and all the seminogram parameters such as the sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm morphology (p<0.05). Conclusion:A decreased seminal plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC) could have significant role in the aetiology of impaired sperm functions. So, the TAC may be used as specific biomarker for assessing the oxidative stress in sperms.

Male infertility testing: reactive oxygen species and antioxidant capacity

“…Studies have demonstrated that normospermia is directly correlated with higher TAC levels compared with those of patients with asthenoteratospermia or oligoasthenoteratospermia (109). Conversely, decreased seminal TAC levels are correlated with impaired semen parameters (110). However, TAC levels are not routinely measured as a standard part of an infertility evaluation because of the lack of a proven benefit and the cost and time-consuming nature of this diagnostic testing when compared with a routine semen analysis (37).…”

The effects of lycopene supplement on the spermatogram and seminal oxidative stress in infertile men: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial

“…The GPx was measured by ELISA with the Hangzhou Eastbiopharm kit. The MDA was measured using thiobarbituric acid method (Botsoglou et al, 1994) and TAC using ferric reduction of antioxidants power (FRAP; Pahune, Choudhari, & Muley, 2013).…”

The effect of vitamin C on the gene expression profile of sperm protamines in the male partners of couples with recurrent pregnancy loss: A randomized clinical trial

“…In the human body, antioxidant systems are present in order to neutralize free radicals [18]. An imbalance between free radical production and the antioxidant capacity causes oxidative stress (OS), which affects the structure, function, and motility of spermatozoa, leading to male infertility [19,20]. Antioxidant-based dietary supplementation promotes the motility of sperm cells and appropriate sperm concentrations [19,21].…”