P-210 Utilization of coconut water as an additive to improve the human sperm quality following freezing-thawing Process
Authors: Zwamel A H 
Published: June 2023

Study question

Is the supplementation of the cryosolution with coconut water (CW) improve the motility and DNA integrity of spermatozoa after cryopreservation?

Summary answer

Coconut water as an additive to the cryosolution found to decrease the sperm DNA fragmentation and improve the sperm motility post-thawing.

What is known already

Despite the benefits of cryopreservation, it has adverse effects on sperm cell in different scenarios. Decrease in motility, viability and DNA fragmentation are the most common effects of cryopreservation on sperm function. The freezing/thawing shock produces physical and chemical stresses on the spermatozoa that could change the composition of the lipids in their plasma membrane resulting in increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increases the oxidative stress. Thus, supplementing the cryosolution with antioxidants may improve the recovery rate of cryopreserved spermatozoa by reducing the oxidative damage. Coconut water is characterized by its high contents of proven antioxidant properties.

Study design, size, duration

The study was conducted on 70 semen samples from patients attended the fertility center in Al-Sadder medical city, Najaf, Iraq, for routine semen analysis over a period of ten months from March to December 2022. All the patients gave their consent for participation in this study. The samples had normal semen parameters according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 standard criteria.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Sperm motility and DNA fragmentation index (SDF) test were done for each sample, then, each semen sample divided to three parts: P1: cryopreserved with glycerol-containing cryosolution only (SpermFreezTM), P2: cryopreserved with glycerol-containing cryosolution and 5%coconut water (CW), and P3: cryopreserved with glycerol-containing cryosolution and 10% CW. After 1-month vapor-dependent cryopreservation, all samples were thawed and the sperm motility assed using computer-assisted sperm analyzer (CASA) and DFI was evaluated using Acridine orang stain method.

Main results and the role of chance

The percentage of total sperm motility and progressive motility in fresh samples were (39% and 35% respectively) and the level of sperm DNA fragmentation was (21%). The total and progressive sperm motility decreased significantly (P &lt; 0.05) post-thawing, while the SDF increased. After cryopreservation the percentage of total and progressive sperm motility exhibited a significantly elevated levels in P2 (10.1% and 7.9% respectively) and P3 (14.6% and 11.3% respectively) than in P1 (6.8% and 4.2% respectively), however, the level of DFI significantly (P &lt; 0.05) decreased in both P2 (27.4%) and in P3 (24.5%) than in P1 (30.1%). In comparison between the two concentrations of CW, P3 recorded a significant increase in the recovery of sperm total and progressive motility (14.6% and 11.3% respectively) than P2 (10.1% and 7.9% respectively). Furthermore, the level of DFI in P3 (24.5%) decreased significantly than its level in P2 (27.4%).

Limitations, reasons for caution

This study was to evaluate the efficiency of CW in the improvement of human sperm motility and DNA integrity post-thawing. Further studies required to evaluate the effect of using CW in sperm cryopreservation on the success rate of the conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Wider implications of the findings

In this study, we found that the additive of CW to the glycerol-containing cryosolution (SpermFreezTM) can improve the human sperm motility and DNA integrity post-cryopreservation. The best recovery rate of sperm motility and DNA integrity was with the supplementation of 10% of CW to the cryosolution.

Trial registration number

Not applicable