Open AccessGreen tea extract as a cryoprotectant additive to preserve the motility and DNA integrity of human spermatozoa
Author(s) -
Odai Alqawasmeh,
Ming Zhao,
C. Chan,
Maran Bw Leung,
Ki C Chow,
Nikunj Agarwal,
Jennifer Sm Mak,
Chi C Wang,
Chi Pui Pang,
Tin C. Li,
Wai Kit Chu,
David Yiu Leung Chan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
asian journal of andrology/asian journal of andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1745-7262
pISSN - 1008-682X
DOI - 10.4103/aja.aja_58_20
Subject(s) - cryopreservation , andrology , sperm motility , sperm , dna fragmentation , green tea extract , cryoprotectant , motility , semen , oxidative stress , dna damage , biology , antioxidant , chemistry , food science , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , dna , embryo , apoptosis , programmed cell death , green tea , medicine
Cryopreservation impairs sperm quality and functions, including motility and DNA integrity. Antioxidant additives in sperm freezing media have previously brought improvements in postthawed sperm quality. Green tea extract (GTE) is widely considered as an excellent antioxidant, and its beneficial role has been proven in other human cells. This study aims to evaluate the GTE as a potential additive in cryopreservation media of human spermatozoa. In part one, the semen of 20 normozoospermic men was used to optimize the concentration of GTE that maintains sperm motility and DNA integrity against oxidative stress, induced by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Spermatozoa were treated with GTE at different concentrations before incubation with H 2 O 2 . In part two, the semen of 45 patients was cryopreserved with or without 1.0 ng ml -1 GTE. After 2 weeks, the semen was thawed, and the effect on sperm motility and DNA fragmentation was observed. Our data showed that GTE significantly protected sperm motility and DNA integrity against oxidative stress induced by H 2 O 2 when added at a final concentration of 1.0 ng ml -1 . We found that the addition of 1.0 ng ml -1 GTE to cryopreservation media significantly increased sperm motility and DNA integrity (both P < 0.05). More interestingly, patients with high sperm DNA damage benefited similarly from the GTE supplementation. However, there was no significant change in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. In conclusion, supplementing sperm freezing media with GTE has a significant protective effect on human sperm motility and DNA integrity, which may be of clinical interest.