Table 3.
Studies investigating the effect of antioxidants supplemented with freezing media on cryopreserved spermatozoa.
| Antioxidant Used | Method and Cryoprotectant Used for Cryopreservation | Patients Included in the Study | Results | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin E | Freezing on liquid nitrogen vapor with glycerol as a cryoprotectant. | 59 patients with asthenozoospermia and 38 normozoospermic patients (>20 × 106/mL and motility ≥50%) | Supplementing the cryoprotectant with VE significantly enhanced the total motility and progressive motility in normozoospermic as well as asthenozoospermic samples. | Kalthur et al., (2011) [82] |
| Melatonin | Freezing on liquid nitrogen vapor with glycerol as a cryoprotectant. | 43 normozoospermic patients (>20 × 106/mL and motility ≥50%) | The results show that the supplementation of melatonin significantly increased motility and viability and decreased levels of intracellular ROS. | Karimfar et al., (2015) [83] |
| Sericin | Freezing on liquid nitrogen vapor with glycerol as a cryoprotectant. | 51 normozoospermic patients (>20 × 106/mL and motility ≥50%) | The addition of sericin significantly increased sperm viability and total motility and decreased DNA fragmentation. | Aghaz et al., (2018) [84] |
| Oregano Extract (Oregano vulgare) | Freezing on liquid nitrogen vapor with glycerol as a cryoprotectant. | 20 normozoospermic patients (>20 × 106/mL and motility ≥50%) | The total motility was significantly increased in frozen–thawed spermatozoa in comparison with the control group. The percentage of vital spermatozoa was also significantly higher. | Shiri et al., (2020) [85] |
| Green Tea | Freezing on liquid nitrogen vapor with glycerol as a cryoprotectant. | 45 normozoospermic patients (>20 × 106/mL and motility ≥50%) | They found that supplementing the sperm-freezing media with GTE had a significant protective effect on human sperm motility and DNA integrity, but there was no significant change in the ROS level. | Alqawasmeh et al., (2021) [86] |
| Curcumin | Freezing on liquid nitrogen vapor with glycerol as a cryoprotectant. | 23 normozoospermic patients (>20 × 106/mL and motility ≥50%) | In the curcumin group, progressive motility, sperm chromatin condensation, and DNA integrity significantly increased after the thawing process when compared with the control. | Karakus et al., (2021) [37] |
| Curcumin | Freezing on liquid nitrogen vapor with glycerol as a cryoprotectant. | 60 normozoospermic patients (>20 × 106/mL and motility ≥50%) | The results showed that curcumin supplementation in a freezing medium was protective for human sperm parameters (increased total motility) and sperm DNA (decrease in DNA fragmentation). | Santonastaso et al., (2021) [87] |