In vitro determination of the contraceptive spermicidal activity of essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague ex Turrill fruits

Human Sperm as an In Vitro Model to Assess the Efficacy of Antioxidant Supplements during Sperm Handling: A Narrative Review

Spermatozoa are highly differentiated cells that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to aerobic metabolism. Below a certain threshold, ROS are important in signal transduction pathways and cellular physiological processes, whereas ROS overproduction damages spermatozoa. Sperm manipulation and preparation protocols during assisted reproductive procedures-for example, cryopreservation-can result in excessive ROS production, exposing these cells to oxidative damage. Thus, antioxidants are a relevant topic in sperm quality. This narrative review focuses on human spermatozoa as an in vitro model to study which antioxidants can be used to supplement media. The review comprises a brief presentation of the human sperm structure, a general overview of the main items of reduction-oxidation homeostasis and the ambivalent relationship between spermatozoa and ROS. The main body of the paper deals with studies in which human sperm have been used as an in vitro model to test antioxidant compounds, including natural extracts. The presence and the synergic effects of different antioxidant molecules could potentially lead to more effective products in vitro and, in the future, in vivo.

The relevance of sperm morphology in male infertility

This brief report concerns the role of human sperm morphology assessment in different fields of male infertility: basic research, genetics, assisted reproduction technologies, oxidative stress. One of the best methods in studying sperm morphology is transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that enables defining the concept of sperm pathology and classifying alterations in non-systematic and systematic. Non-systematic sperm defects affect head and tail in variable ratio, whereas the rare systematic defects are characterized by a particular anomaly that marks most sperm of an ejaculate. TEM analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization represent outstanding methods in the study of sperm morphology and cytogenetic in patients with altered karyotype characterizing their semen quality before intracytoplasmic sperm injection. In recent years, the genetic investigations on systematic sperm defects, made extraordinary progress identifying candidate genes whose mutations induce morphological sperm anomalies. The question if sperm morphology has an impact on assisted fertilization outcome is debated. Nowadays, oxidative stress represents one of the most important causes of altered sperm morphology and function and can be analyzed from two points of view: 1) spermatozoa with cytoplasmic residue produce reactive oxygen species, 2) the pathologies with inflammatory/oxidative stress background cause morphological alterations. Finally, sperm morphology is also considered an important endpoint in in vitro experiments where toxic substances, drugs, antioxidants are tested. We think that the field of sperm morphology is far from being exhausted and needs other research. This parameter can be still considered a valuable indicator of sperm dysfunction both in basic and clinical research.

Thymus satureioides and Origanum majorana essential oils improve the quality of Beni Arouss buck semen during storage at 4°C

This study aims to investigate the effects of essential oils (EOs), extracted from Thymus satureioides (TS) and Origanum majorana (OM), on Beni Arouss buck semen quality stored in skimmed milk at 4°C. EOs were extracted by hydro-distillation, and the chemical compounds were determined. Ejaculates were collected from six Beni Arouss bucks, once a week for 10 weeks, and they were pooled, divided into five equal aliquots and diluted to 400 × 10⁶ sperm/ml with skimmed milk supplemented with 0.01% of OM EO, 0.01% of TS EO, 0.05% of OM EO and 0.05% of TS EO. Non-supplemented skimmed milk was considered as a control. Semen motility, kinematic parameters, viability, abnormality, membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation were evaluated at 0, 4, 8, 24, 28, 32 and 48 hr of liquid storage at 4°C. The main EO components were carvacrol (31.7%), thymol (28.0%) and borneol (14.4%) for TS, and terpinene-4-ol (31.2%), γ-terpinene (17.4%) and α-terpinene (12.7%) for OM. The results highlighted a dose-dependent effect of TS and OM EOs on all semen quality parameters. 0.01% of both EOs had a beneficial effect on the sperm preservation stored at 4°C compared with control (p < .05) excepted for the straight-line velocity. The 0.05% EO addition had harmful effects during storage particularly for TS EO. In conclusion, 0.01% of TS and OM EOs are recommended to improve the Beni Arouss buck semen preservation at 4°C.

Effects of Monoterpenes of Trachyspermum ammi on the Viability of Spermatogonia Stem Cells In Vitro

Trachyspermum ammi (Apiaceae) plants have several medicinal and condimentary applications and are considered an aphrodisiac agent in Iranian Traditional Medicine. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the effects of oil from Iranian T. ammi plants on the viability of spermatogonial stem cells in vitro. The essential oil of T. ammi fruits was extracted by hydrodistillation, and the amount of thymol was calculated by a gas-chromatography method. Spermatogonial stem cells were isolated from the testes of mice using enzyme digestion. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied to assess the gene expressions of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (Plzf), DNA-binding protein inhibitor (ID-4), tyrosine-protein kinase (c-Kit), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) and Bcl2-associated X protein (BAX). The number and diameter of colonies were also measured in the treated cells. The amount of thymol in the oil was 130.7 ± 7.6 µg/mL. Flow cytometry analysis showed that 92.8% of all cells expressed stimulated by retinoic acid 8 (Stra8), a spermatogonial stem cell marker. Expression of Plzf and ID-4 genes significantly increased in the treatment groups, while c-Kit and BAX decreased, and Bcl2 increased in the presence of essential oil. The numbers and diameters of cells were also improved by the application of the plant oil. These data indicated that monoterpenes from the oil of T. ammi improved the quality and viability of spermatogonia cells in the cell culture.

Thymol exposure mediates pro-oxidant shift by regulating Nrf2 and apoptotic events in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos

The biochemical process of oxidative stress is an integral mechanism of chemical toxicity, contributing to complex pathological disorders. Thymol (THY) has a wide range of therapeutic applications for several ailments, although a better understanding of signaling cues regulated by this compound is needed to address the mechanism of its action. To better perceive the mode of action, we investigated the potential impact of THY on zebrafish embryos, with special emphasis on ROS biogenesis. In this study, we exposed the zebrafish embryos to 25, 50 and 100μM of THY for 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). Noticeable teratogenic effects were observed upon assessing the survival rate (LC₅₀ = 42.35μM), hatching process, morphological exam and cardiac functions, thereby verifying the toxicity of THY on zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of THY on the levels of ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and immunofluorescence by DCFH-DA, JC-1, Casp-3-FITIC staining, respectively. Furthermore, we preformed the expressional analysis of Nrf2, superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1), catalase (CAT), Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and apoptotic marker proteins (AIF, p53, Bax, Bcl-2, Casp-3 and Casp-9) in zebrafish embryos. As expected, we noticed a significant modulatory effect on the above-mentioned activities by THY. Collectively, our findings suggest that ROS might be the prime mediator responsible for THY-induced oxidative damage, thereby affecting the cellular defense mechanism and apoptotic events in zebrafish embryos.

Effect of the essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) on rooster sperm motility during 4°C short-term storage

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) essential oil on rooster sperm motility during 4°C short-term storage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

R. officinalis essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to identify the active components. 10 of 45-week-old Hubbard commercial broilers were subjected to biweekly semen collections during 3 weeks. At each collection, sperm was pooled and divided into four aliquots and then diluted with Tris extender supplemented with 870, 87, or 8.7 µg/ml of R. officinalis essential oil, identified as treatments R, R5, and R10, respectively. Tris-based extender without any supplementation was considered as a control group. Diluted sperm was then stored at 4°C in the refrigerator and analyzed at 0, 6, 24, and 48 h using a computer-assisted sperm analyzer. Different semen parameters were measured including total motility, progressive motility, gametes velocities (straight line velocity [VSL], curvilinear velocity [VCL], and average path velocity [VAP]), amplitude of the lateral head displacement [ALH], and beat-cross frequency [BCF].

RESULTS

The phytochemical analysis of R. officinalis essential oil revealed the presence of 25 active components including seven major molecules: Camphor (18.88%), camphene (5.17%), 1,8-cineole (7.85%), β-thujene (13.66%), α-thujene (4.87%), chrysanthenone (12.05%), and β-cubenene (7.97%). The results showed a beneficial effect of R. officinalis essential oil on sperm cells motility, particularly when using the lowest concentrations, 8.7 and 87 µg/ml. Progressive motility and gametes velocities (VCL, VSL, and VAP), materializing the quality of gametes motility, showed highly statistically significant values (p<0.01) in 8.7 and 87 µg/ml treatments, especially from 6 h of storage at 4°C. Conversely, the highest concentration (870 µg/ml) showed harmful effects with a total spermicidal activity after 24 h of storage.

CONCLUSION

The current results revealed the positive impact of R. officinalis essential oil on rooster sperm at 4°C short-term storage probably through fighting against oxidative stress and cold shock damages.

Pharmacological Screening of Trachyspermum ammi for Antihyperlipidemic Activity in Triton X-100 Induced Hyperlipidemia Rat Model

BACKGROUND

Mortality rate is increasing due to cardiovascular problems throughout the world. These cardiac problems are directly associated with dyslipidemia.

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic effect of aqueous extract and methanol extract of Trachyspermum ammi at 1 g/kg, 3 g/kg, and 5 g/kg dose levels in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For this purpose, 45 male albino rats were used and randomly divided into nine equal groups (n = 5). The lipid levels were increased after 24 h of single intraperitoneal injection of Triton X-100 (100 mg/kg) in rats. Aqueous and methanol extracts equivalent to 1 g/kg, 3 g/kg, and 5 g/kg were administered orally to the rats for 21 days. Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg) was used as standard drug. Blood samples were collected at 0, 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd day by a direct cardiac puncture in Vacuette® heparin tubes. Serum was separated and then analyzed for lipid profile, liver function test (LFT), and renal function test (RFT) using standard diagnostic kits.

RESULTS

Results showed that extracts at 3 g/kg and 5 g/kg decreased the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein and increased high-density lipoprotein concentration in serum. T. ammi also decreased LFT and RFT parameters at the end of the study.

CONCLUSION

T. ammi possessed antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activities along with hepato- and nephro-protective effects.

SUMMARY

Aqueous and methanol extracts of T. ammi were administered orally at 1-, 3-, and 5 g/kg doses to hyperlipidemic rats (Triton X-100 induced hyperlipidemia) and atorvastatin (10 mg/kg, orally) was used as standard drug. Methanol extract at 5 g/kg showed antihyperlipidemic effect that is identical to that of standard drug.Abbreviations Used: LDL: Low-density lipoprotein; TC: Total cholesterol; VLDL: Very low-density lipoprotein; HDL: High-density lipoprotein; T. ammi: Trachyspermum ammi; WHO: World Health Organization; CAD: Coronary artery disease; BHT: Butylated hydroxytoluene; BUN: Blood urea nitrogen; AST: Aspartate transaminase; ALT: Alanine transaminase; IP: Intraperitoneal.

Spermicidal activity of the hexane extract of Piper longum: an in vitro study

This study was carried out to assess the spermicidal action of hexane extract from the fruits of Piper longum Linn. The sperm immobilisation studies showed that 20 mg/mL of hexane extract was able to immobilise sperms completely within 20 s. The sperm revival test revealed that the effects were spermicidal as sperm immobilisation effect was irreversible. There was also a significant reduction in sperm viability in the treated group in comparison to the control. The hypo-osmotic swelling of these sperms was significantly reduced, indicating that the hexane extract may probably cause injury to the sperm plasma membrane. Hence, this study showed that the hexane extract of P. longum possesses potential contraceptive spermicidal activity in vitro.

Effect of Solanum surattense seed on the oxidative potential of cauda epididymal spermatozoa

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of aqueous seed extract of Solanum surattense (S. surattense) on the oxidative potential of cauda epididymal spermatozoa.

METHODS

S. surattense seed extract was orally administered at the dosage of 10 mg/kg b.w. for 15 days, after which aspartate transferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), citric acid and iso-citrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) were assayed.

RESULTS

The activity levels of the enzymes AST and ALT, which are considered to be the androgenicity in the sperm suspension, were depleted in the extract fed rats. The activity level of the enzyme ICDH, was reduced significantly in the treated group (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that the oral administration of the aqueous seed extract of S. surattense can deplete the oxidative stress of cauda epididymal spermatozoa in albino rats.

Evaluation of the spermicidal and contraceptive activity of Platycodin D, a Saponin from Platycodon grandiflorum

BACKGROUND

The extract of Platycodon grandiflorum has been reported to have effective spermicidal activity. This study was designed to evaluate the spermicidal and contraceptive activity, as well as the safety, of Platycodin D (PD), a major saponin in Platycodon grandiflorum.

METHODS

Using the computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) test criteria, the sperm-immobilizing activity of PD was studied using highly motile human sperm. The sperm viability was assessed by fluorescent staining using SYBR-14 (living sperm) and propidium iodide (dead sperm). The sperm membrane integrity was assessed by evaluating the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) and examinations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vivo contraceptive efficacy was evaluated in rats using post-intrauterine PD application. The comet assay was employed to determine whether PD caused DNA damage in the sperm. Vaginal biopsies were also performed to determine whether the PD gel induced vaginal inflammation.

RESULTS

A dose-dependent effect of PD on the sperm motility and viability was observed. The maximum spermicidal effect was observed with a 0.25 mM concentration of PD. More than 70% of the PD-treated sperm lost their HOS responsiveness at a concentration of 0.20 mM PD, indicating that PD caused injury to the sperm plasma membrane. TEM and SEM revealed significant damage to both the head and tail membranes of the sperm. PD decreased the fertility to zero in rats, was non-DNA damaging and was not harmful to the vaginal tissue in the rats.

CONCLUSION

PD has significant spermicidal activity that should be explored in further studies.