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Del Prete C, Calabria A, Longobardi V, Palumbo V, Merlo B, Iacono E, Tafuri S, Carotenuto D, Ciani F, Damiano S, Ciarcia R, Cocchia N. Effect of Aqueous Extract of Maca Addition to an Extender for Chilled Canine Semen. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12131638. [PMID: 35804537 PMCID: PMC9264857 DOI: 10.3390/ani12131638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The wide use of artificial insemination in dogs justifies the development of new strategies to prevent the reduction of fertilizing ability of stored semen. In recent years, the use of plant antioxidant supplementation has become increasingly popular. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is an Andean edible root with antioxidant properties. The effectiveness of the oral supplementation of Maca in improving fresh semen quality and quantity and cooling or freezing ability has already been reported. This is the first in vitro study on the effects of aqueous extract of Maca on canine spermatozoa. The addition of low concentrations of aqueous extract of Maca to the canine chilled extender had positive effects only until 24 h of storage, increasing hyperactivation of sperm cells and preserving DNA integrity of spermatozoa in short-term storage. Meanwhile, a high concentration of Maca had an immediately deleterious effect on semen quality. Abstract Antioxidant supplementation has been proposed as a new strategy to improve the long-term preservation of semen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Maca supplementation of semen extender on quality-related canine semen parameters during cooling. Ejaculates from nine dogs were cooled for 7 days in the absence (control group) or in the presence of 10, 20 and 50 μL/mL of an aqueous extract of Maca. Sperm were evaluated for sperm viability, motility, DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation after 3 h, 24 h, 4 days and 7 days of storage. The addition of 10 μL/mL of Maca preserved sperm DNA and plasma membrane integrity at 3 h and increased sperm curvilinear velocity after 24 h. Treatment with 20 and 50 μL/mL of Maca increased the percentage of hyperactivated sperm after 3 h. Moreover, semen treated with 20 μL/mL of Maca decreased lipid peroxidation at 24 h. A significant reduction of sperm DNA and plasma membrane integrity as well as of kinetics parameters between 3 and 24 h of refrigerated storage with the higher concentration tested was observed. Although Maca was not able to protect canine semen with extended refrigeration storage time, it increased hyperactivation and preserved DNA integrity in short-term storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Del Prete
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-2536017
| | - Alfonso Calabria
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
| | - Valentina Longobardi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
| | - Veronica Palumbo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
| | - Barbara Merlo
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Ozzano dell’Emilia, 40064 Bologna, Italy; (B.M.); (E.I.)
| | - Eleonora Iacono
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Ozzano dell’Emilia, 40064 Bologna, Italy; (B.M.); (E.I.)
| | - Simona Tafuri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
| | - Domenico Carotenuto
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor San Marcos (UNMSM), Avenida Universitaria 34, Lima 15081, Peru;
| | - Francesca Ciani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
| | - Sara Damiano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
| | - Roberto Ciarcia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
| | - Natascia Cocchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy; (A.C.); (V.L.); (V.P.); (S.T.); (F.C.); (S.D.); (R.C.); (N.C.)
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Greco A, Del Prete C, De Biase D, Palumbo V, Albanese S, Bruzzese D, Carotenuto D, Ciani F, Tafuri S, Meomartino L, Mancini M, Paciello O, Cocchia N. Effects of Oral Administration of Lepidium meyenii on Morphology of Mice Testis and Motility of Epididymal Sperm Cells After Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:692874. [PMID: 34957272 PMCID: PMC8697607 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.692874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration is associated with testicular damage and reduced semen quality. Oral administration of Lepidium Meyenii (maca) improves spermatogenesis and sperm motility and count and reduces spermatogenic damage. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of administration of THC, maca, and their combination on testicular tissue and semen parameters. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six-week-old male mice were classified into control, THC, Maca, and THC + Maca groups. The mice were subjected to Eco Color Doppler ultrasound examination of the testicles before and after treatment. After euthanasia, the epididymis, testes, liver, and kidney were collected for histological examination. For morphometry of the testis, tubular diameters and seminiferous epithelium height were measured. Sperm concentration and sperm motilities were assessed. Differences among the groups were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's post-hoc test. Results: In all the groups, there were no significant changes in testicular morphology before and after treatment. Histological assessment of the testes showed no alterations in control, no significant alterations in Maca, mild to moderate alterations in THC, and mild alterations in THC + Maca groups. Histological examination of the other organs showed no significant differences among the groups. Tubular diameter showed significantly increased thickening for THC and THC + Maca compared with that for Maca and control. Moreover, seminiferous epithelium height decreased for THC compared with that in the control, Maca, and THC + Maca groups. No statistically significant reduction in the spermatogenic index was observed for THC compared with that for Maca and THC + Maca. Epididymal cross-sections of the groups showed no significant alterations. Sperm concentration and motility were higher for control and THC + Maca groups than in group THC and Maca. Conclusion: In vivo maca administration reduced the deleterious effect of THC on testicular parenchyma and semen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelaide Greco
- Interdepartmental Center of Veterinary Radiology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging of the National Council of Research, Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Del Prete
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Davide De Biase
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Veronica Palumbo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Sandra Albanese
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging of the National Council of Research, Naples, Italy
| | - Dario Bruzzese
- Department of Public Sanity, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Ciani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Tafuri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Leonardo Meomartino
- Interdepartmental Center of Veterinary Radiology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marcello Mancini
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging of the National Council of Research, Naples, Italy
| | - Orlando Paciello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Natascia Cocchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Ciani F, Maruccio L, Cocchia N, d’Angelo D, Carotenuto D, Avallone L, Namagerdi AA, Tafuri S. Antioxidants in assisted reproductive technologies: An overview on dog, cat, and horse. J Adv Vet Anim Res 2021; 8:173-184. [PMID: 33860028 PMCID: PMC8043350 DOI: 10.5455/javar.2021.h500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are widely used as a tool to improve reproductive performance in both humans and animals. In particular, in the veterinary field, ARTs are used to improve animal genetics, recover endangered animals, and produce offspring in the event of subfertility or infertility in males or females. However, the use of ARTs did not improve the fertilization rate in some animals due to various factors such as the difficulty in reproducing an anatomical and humoral substrate typical of the natural condition or due to the increase in catabolites and their difficult elimination. The in vitro environment allows the production and increase in the concentration of substances, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could be harmful to gametes. If produced in high concentration, the ROS becomes deleterious, both in vitro and in vivo systems. It has been seen that the use of antioxidants can help neutralize or counteract the production of ROS. The present study aims to report the latest findings regarding the use of antioxidants in ARTs of some domestic species, such as dogs, cats, and horses, compared to other animal species, such as cattle, in which ARTs have instead developed more widely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Ciani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Lucianna Maruccio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Natascia Cocchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Danila d’Angelo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Avallone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Simona Tafuri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Ciani F, Cocchia N, Calabrò V, Pollice A, Maruccio L, Carotenuto D, Esposito L, Avallone L, Tafuri S. Uncaria tomentosa: A promising source of therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of oxidative stress and cancer. Cancer 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819547-5.00045-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is an edible root plant that grows in the Andean region of Peru. For centuries, the plant has been used as a dietary supplement for its nutritional and therapeutic properties. Maca are rich in high value nutritional elements and secondary metabolites (macaridine, macamides and glucosinolates) with high biological activity. Several studies demonstrated various biological effects of Maca mainly in the field of fertility. The aim of this review is to summarize the state of knowledge on the properties of Maca on male reproduction. Literature data was performed in PubMed with researches published from 2000 to 2019. The research showed results related to the effects of Maca on the quality and quantity of the semen, sexual behaviour and disorders of the male genital tract. Despite the numerous studies carried out on different animal species, further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms of action of Maca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Tafuri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Natascia Cocchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Anastasia Vassetti
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, Portici (Na), Italy
| | - Domenico Carotenuto
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, UNMSM, Universidad Nacional Mayor San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Luigi Esposito
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Lucianna Maruccio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Avallone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Ciani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Ciani F, Tafuri S, Troiano A, Cimmino A, Fioretto BS, Guarino AM, Pollice A, Vivo M, Evidente A, Carotenuto D, Calabrò V. Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of Uncaria tomentosa aqueous extract in squamous carcinoma cells. J Ethnopharmacol 2018; 211:285-294. [PMID: 28964869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC. (Rubiacee), also known as uña de gato, is a plant that grows wild in the upper Amazon region of Peru and has been widely used in folk medicine to treat several health conditions including cancer. We have produced an aqueous extract from Uncaria tomentosa (UT-ex) and analyzed its effects on squamous carcinoma cells and immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells arising in the skin's squamous layer of epidermis. When detected at an early stage, SCCs are almost curable, however, if left untreated, they can penetrate the underlying tissue and become disfiguring. We have evaluated cell proliferation, apoptosis and the level of reactive oxygen species following UT-ex treatment. UT-ex affected cell cycle progression and reduced cell viability in a dose and time-dependent manner. From a mechanistic point of view, this delay in cell growth coincided with the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, PARP1 cleavage was associated to the reduction of Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) 36kDa, a nuclear prosurvival factor involved in DNA damage repair. These data indicate that UT-ex-induced cell death can be ascribed, at least in part, to its ability both to induce oxidative DNA damage and antagonize the mechanism of DNA repair relying upon YB-1 activity. They also show that non metastatic SCCs are more susceptible to UT-ex treatment than untransformed keratinocytes supporting the use of UT-ex for the treatment of precancerous and early forms of squamous cell carcinomas. Preliminary chemical investigation of UT-ex revealed the presence of hydrophilic low-medium molecular weight metabolites with anticancer potential towards squamous carcinoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Ciani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University "Federico II", Via Veterinaria 1, Naples 80137, Italy.
| | - Simona Tafuri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University "Federico II", Via Veterinaria 1, Naples 80137, Italy
| | - Annaelena Troiano
- Department of Biology, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, University "Federico II", Via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Alessio Cimmino
- Department of C hemical Sciences, University "Federico II", Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia,Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Bianca Saveria Fioretto
- Department of Biology, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, University "Federico II", Via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Andrea Maria Guarino
- Department of Biology, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, University "Federico II", Via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pollice
- Department of Biology, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, University "Federico II", Via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Maria Vivo
- Department of Biology, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, University "Federico II", Via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Antonio Evidente
- Department of C hemical Sciences, University "Federico II", Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia,Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy
| | | | - Viola Calabrò
- Department of Biology, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, University "Federico II", Via Cintia, Monte S. Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy.
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Del Prete C, Tafuri S, Ciani F, Pasolini MP, Ciotola F, Albarella S, Carotenuto D, Peretti V, Cocchia N. Influences of dietary supplementation withLepidium meyenii(Maca) on stallion sperm production and on preservation of sperm quality during storage at 5 °C. Andrology 2018; 6:351-361. [DOI: 10.1111/andr.12463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Del Prete
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
| | - S. Tafuri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
| | - F. Ciani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
| | - M. P. Pasolini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
| | - F. Ciotola
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
| | - S. Albarella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
| | - D. Carotenuto
- UNMSM; Universidad Nacional Mayor San Marcos; Lima Peru
| | - V. Peretti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
| | - N. Cocchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples Italy
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Di Pierro F, Callegari A, Carotenuto D, Tapia MM. Clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of BIO-C (micronized Silymarin) as a galactagogue. Acta Biomed 2008; 79:205-210. [PMID: 19260380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK The authors have previously reported the use of Silymarin (a Silybum marianum standardized extract) as a promoter of milk production in cows. Due to the important psychological impact of hypogalactia in women after delivery, we evaluated the role of Silymarin as a safe and effective galactogogue for human species. METHODS 50 healthy women during lactation were enrolled in order to verify the galactogogue role played by an oral treatment with micronized Silymarin (420 mg/day) in comparison with an undistinguishable placebo product. RESULTS Women orally treated for 63 days with Silymarin showed a clear galactagogue role for the product with an increase of 85.94% of the daily milk production (placebo: +32.09%). No drop out, nor unwanted effects were reported in both groups. Compliance and tolerability were also very good. CONCLUSIONS Silymarin may be considered as a safe and effective herbal product that can be orally administered in order to improve the daily milk production in healthy women after delivery, without affecting milk quality.
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