Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Antioxidants and Reproductive Health

Antioxidants and reproductive health concerns the influence of redox-active compounds on fertility and the function of reproductive tissues in both sexes. Spermatozoa and oocytes are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress: their membranes are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and excess reactive oxygen specie…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 76× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2471-2140 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Antioxidants and reproductive health concerns the influence of redox-active compounds on fertility and the function of reproductive tissues in both sexes. Spermatozoa and oocytes are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress: their membranes are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and excess reactive oxygen species cause lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation, and mitochondrial damage that impair sperm motility, gamete viability, and developmental competence. At the same time, controlled levels of reactive oxygen species participate in normal processes such as sperm capacitation and ovulation, so redox balance rather than total suppression is the governing principle. Relevant antioxidant defenses include enzymatic systems such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, together with dietary and supplemental antioxidants including vitamins C and E, selenium, zinc, carotenoids, and plant-derived polyphenols and flavonoids. Research investigates oxidative injury and protection in gametes and gonadal tissue, often using isolated mitochondria, sperm samples, and ischemia-reperfusion models, and quantifies antioxidant capacity through total antioxidant status and radical-scavenging assays. Persistent scholarly questions include the optimal antioxidant strategy for male and female subfertility, the risk of reductive stress from excessive supplementation, and how reliably in vitro antioxidant measures predict improvements in reproductive outcomes, making this a clinically significant and debated field.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2017

The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of two tea polysaccharides

Yu ZhiCorresponding author
College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, No. 1 Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China 430070
Antioxidant Activity Cited by 5 doi:10.14302/issn.2471-2140.jaa-17-1541

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 76 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Antioxidants and Reproductive Health, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Antioxidant Activity (ISSN 2471-2140).

Journal editorial board
Deepak Kasote · Qatar Mahmoudreza Ovissipour · United States Sudhiranjan Gupta, Ph.D. · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.