Ferulic
Acid has been identified in clinical trials, as having significant
positive effects on sperm viability and motility.
The
trial focused on the “Effects of FERULIC ACID on human
sperm motility, viability, lipid peroxidation, and cyclic
nucleotides in fertile and asthenozoospermic infertile individuals.”
“The
results showed: in both fertile and infertile spermatozoa,
the viability, trans-membrane migration ratio (TMMR) and the
levels of intracellular cAMP and cGMP in FERULIC ACID-treated
spermatozoa were significantly higher than those of spermatozoa
in control groups, while TBA-reactive substances contents
in treated spermatozoa were significantly lower than those
in control spermatozoa.
The
effects of FERULIC ACID on these processes were concentration
dependent. These data suggested that FERULIC ACID is beneficial
to sperm viability and motility in both fertile and infertile
individuals, and that reduction of lipid peroxidative damage
to sperm membranes and increase of intracellular cAMP and
cGMP may be involved in these benefits.”
Researchers
concluded that “It is possible that FERULIC ACID may
be used for cure of asthenozoospermic infertility.”
Effects
of ferulic acid on fertile and asthenozoospermic infertile
human sperm motility, viability, lipid peroxidation,
and cyclic nucleotides; Free Radic Biol Med.
|
FERULIC
ACID
Free
Radic Biol Med. 1997;22(4):581-6
|
Effects
of ferulic acid on fertile and asthenozoospermic infertile
human sperm motility, viability, lipid peroxidation,
and cyclic nucleotides
|
Zheng
RL, Zhang H.
Department
of Biology, Lanzhou University, P.R. China
|
The
capacity of human sperm fertilization principally depends
on sperm motility and membrane integrity. Reactive oxygen
species, such as superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, are
known to impair sperm motility and membrane integrity by inducing
membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO).
Ferulic
acid (FA), an effective constituent in various medicinal herbs,
has recently been shown to scavenge oxygen free radicals and
increase the intracellular cAMP and cGMP.
The
aim of this study is to investigate the effects of FA on human
sperm motility, viability, lipid peroxidation, and cyclic
nucleotides in fertile and asthenozoospermic infertile individuals
in vitro.
The
sperm samples were obtained from 10 fertile volunteers and
10 asthenozoospermic infertile patients. Washed spermatozoa
were incubated at 37 degrees C in Ham's F-10 medium with 0,
0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, or 1.6 mM of FA. Samples were analyzed
for viability, determined by eosin-Y dye exclusion method
at 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 h of incubation; motility, determined
by the trans-membrane migration method within 2 h of incubation;
LPO, determined by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method at 3 h
of incubation and the intracellular cAMP and cGMP, determined,
respectively, by 3H-cAMP and 125I-cGMP radioimmunoassay at
3 h of incubation.
The
results showed: in both fertile and infertile spermatozoa,
the viability, trans-membrane migration ratio (TMMR) and the
levels of intracellular cAMP and cGMP in FERULIC ACID-treated
spermatozoa were significantly higher than those of spermatozoa
in control groups, while TBA-reactive substances contents
in treated spermatozoa were significantly lower than those
in control spermatozoa.
The
effects of FA on these processes were concentration dependent.
These data suggested that FA is beneficial to sperm viability
and motility in both fertile and infertile individuals, and
that reduction of lipid peroxidative damage to sperm membranes
and increase of intracellular cAMP and cGMP may be involved
in these benefits.
It
is possible that FERULIC ACID may be used for cure of asthenozoospermic
infertility.
|
