Table 4.
Pearson correlation coefficients between fruit and vegetable consumption, antioxidant status and selected semen quality parameters (r, p).
| Variables | Fruit and vegetable consumption (g/day) | TAC-s (mmol/l) | TAC-b (mmol/l) | SOD-b (U/g Hb) | GPx-b (U/g Hb) | GR-b (U/g Hb) | CAT-b (nmol/min/ml) | MDA-b (μmol/ml) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude | Partial* | Crude | Partial* | Crude | Partial* | Crude | Partial* | Crude | Partial* | Crude | Partial* | Crude | Partial* | Crude | Partial* | |
| Fruit and vegetable consumption (g/day) | – | – | 0.36 p < 0.001 | 0.42 p < 0.001 | 0.25 p = 0.02 | 0.28 p = 0.01 | 0.27 p = 0.01 | 0.29 p = 0.01 | 0.13 p = 0.24 | 0.12 p = 0.29 | 0.05 p = 0.65 | 0.02 p = 0.86 | 0.14 p = 0.18 | 0.17 p = 0.14 | −0.17 p = 0.13 | −0.16 p = 0.18 |
| Sperm concentration(× 106/ml) | 0.28 p = 0.01 | 0.30 p = 0.02 | 0.00 p = 0.99 | 0.01 p = 0.96 | −0.04 p = 0.75 | −0.04 p = 0.75 | 0.08 p = 0.44 | 0.11 p = 0.35 | 0.05 p = 0.65 | 0.44 p = 0.60 | 0.08 p = 0.48 | 0.03 p = 0.79 | 0.03 p = 0.76 | 0.09 p = 0.45 | −0.04 p = 0.74 | −0.04 p = 0.74 |
| Leukocytes in ejaculate (× 106/ml) | −0.07 p = 0.49 | −0.05 p = 0.67 | 0.13 p = 0.22 | 0.13 p = 0.27 | −0.09 p = 0.44 | −0.11 p = 0.36 | −0.22 p = 0.04 | −0.27 p = 0.02 | −0.09 p = 0.37 | −0.18 p = 0.12 | 0.06 p = 0.59 | 0.08 p = 0.49 | −0.08 p = 0.46 | −0.11 p = 0.36 | 0.02 p = 0.83 | 0.04 p = 0.72 |
| Vitality(live spermatozoa, %) | 0.25 p = 0.02 | 0.28 p = 0.01 | 0.17 p = 0.11 | 0.17 p = 0.14 | 0.11 p = 0.30 | 0.06 p = 0.61 | 0.28 p = 0.007 | 0.31 p = 0.007 | −0.09 p = 0.40 | −0.11 p = 0.35 | 0.11 p = 0.33 | 0.16 p = 0.18 | 0.02 p = 0.86 | −0.02 p = 0.90 | −0.04 p = 0.74 | −0.18 p = 0.12 |
| Total motility (PR + NP, %) | 0.35 p < 0.001 | 0.38 p = 0.001 | 0.36 p = 0.001 | 0.32 p = 0.005 | 0.21 p = 0.04 | 0.22 p = 0.05 | 0.51 p < 0.001 | 0.46 p < 0.001 | 0.03 p = 0.78 | 0.02 p = 0.88 | −0.005 p = 0.96 | 0.03 p = 0.81 | 0.09 p = 0.41 | 0.09 p = 0.44 | −0.19 p = 0.09 | −0.20 p = 0.08 |
| Progressive motility(%) | 0.41 p < 0.001 | 0.43 p < 0.001 | 0.37 p < 0.001 | 0.35 p = 0.002 | 0.25 p = 0.02 | 0.27 p = 0.02 | 0.57 p < 0.001 | 0.49 p < 0.001 | −0.004 p = 0.97 | −0.007 p = 0.95 | −0.03 p = 0.78 | −0.08 p = 0.50 | 0.09 p = 0.43 | 0.11 p = 0.33 | −0.09 p = 0.42 | −0.09 p = 0.43 |
| Sperm morphology (normal forms, %) | 0.02 p = 0.89 | 0.02 p = 0.83 | 0.04 p = 0.73 | 0.09 p = 0.44 | −0.01 p = 0.94 | −0.04 p = 0.76 | 0.22 p = 0.03 | 0.20 p = 0.05 | 0.07 p = 0.53 | 0.09 p = 0.41 | −0.09 p = 0.44 | −0.15 p = 0.19 | −0.12 p = 0.27 | −0.08 p = 0.50 | −0.01 p = 0.93 | 0.02 p = 0.86 |
| Sperm head defects (%) | −0.01 p = 0.93 | 0.01 p = 0.96 | −0.02 p = 0.84 | −0.05 p = 0.67 | −0.02 p = 0.85 | 0.02 p = 0.88 | −0.20 p = 0.06 | −0.19 p = 0.10 | −0.14 p = 0.21 | −0.16 p = 0.17 | 0.02 p = 0.87 | 0.05 p = 0.69 | 0.10 p = 0.36 | 0.07 p = 0.54 | −0.04 p = 0.32 | 0.01 p = 0.98 |
| Sperm tail defects (%) | −0.09 p = 0.39 | −0.14 p = 0.23 | −0.24 p = 0.03 | −0.25 p = 0.03 | −0.07 p = 0.54 | −0.06 p = 0.61 | −0.25 p = 0.02 | −0.27 p = 0.02 | 0.05 p = 0.67 | 0.05 p = 0.65 | 0.01 p = 0.99 | −0.06 p = 0.58 | −0.12 p = 0.27 | −0.15 p = 0.19 | −0.06 p = 0.84 | 0.04 p = 0.43 |
In contrast to the crude (not adjusted) the partial correlation coefficients were adjusted for age (years, continuous), BMI (<18.5, 18.5–24.9, and >24.9, kg/m2), sitting time (h/d, continuous), physical activity level (MET-h/week, continuous), smoking (ever, never), alcohol consumption (ever, never), supplement use (yes, no), wearing briefs and short boxer (ever, never), and energy (kcal/d, continuous); TAC-s, total antioxidant capacity in semen; TAC-b, total antioxidant capacity in blood; TAC-s, total antioxidant capacity in semen; TAC-b, total antioxidant capacity in blood; SOD-b, superoxide dismutase activity in blood; GPx-b, glutathione peroxidase activity in blood; GR-b, glutathione reductase activity in blood; CAT-b, catalase activity in blood; MDA-b, malondialdehyde concentration in blood; PR, progressive motility; NP, non-progressive motility. The results with P-values of ≤ 0.05 were admitted as statistically significant and were marked in bold cursive.