Resveratrol Treatment Induces Mito-miRNome Modification in Follicular Fluid from Aged Women with a Poor Prognosis for In Vitro Fertilization Cycles

How phytochemicals influence reproductive outcomes in women receiving assisted reproductive techniques: a systematic review

CONTEXT

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing amount of scholarly literature suggesting a connection between the nutritional status of pregnant mothers and early fetal development, as well as the long-term health consequences of their offspring. Multiple studies have documented that alterations in dietary patterns prior to conception have the potential to affect the initial stages of embryonic development.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive review of the research pertaining to the correlation between phytochemicals ( specifically, polyphenols, carotenoids and phytoestrogens) and assisted reproductive technology (ART).

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Clinical Trials databases were searched from January 1978 to March 2023.

STUDY SELECTION

This study comprised observational, randomized controlled, and cohort studies that examined the effects of phytochemicals on ART results. The study's outcomes encompass live birth rate, clinical pregnancy, and ongoing pregnancy.

DATA EXTRACTION

The assessment of study quality was conducted by 2 researchers, independently, using the Quality Criteria Checklist for Primary Research.

RESULTS

A total of 13 studies were included, of which there were 5 randomized controlled studies, 1 nonrandomized controlled study, 6 prospective cohort studies, and 1 retrospective cohort study.

CONCLUSION

This research focused on investigating the impact of phytochemicals on ART and has highlighted a dearth of articles addressing that topic. Collaboration among patients, physicians, and nutritionists is crucial for doing novel research.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42023426332.

The impact of resveratrol on the outcome of the in vitro fertilization: an exploratory randomized placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound present in plants and red wine with many potential health benefits. This compound has various anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties and can improve cellular mitochondrial activity. This trial was designed to evaluate the effect on the outcome of IVF of Resveratrol supplementation in women > 35 years with good ovarian reserve (AMH > 1.2 ng/ml). Women were randomized to receive or placebo or Resveratrol (150 mg per day) for three months preceding the ovarian stimulation (OS). All patients were stimulated with a starting dose of recombinant FSH ranging between 150 and 300 IU according to age and ovarian reserve. GnRH antagonist flexible protocol was adopted for pituitary suppression. Triggering was performed with urinary hCG (10.000 IU).

RESULTS

The study was conducted between January 2019 and December 2022 with aa total of 37 cases and 33 controls were recruited. No statistically significant differences in the number of oocytes retrieved, biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were observed between women treated with resveratrol and control group. A statistically significant increase in the follicle output rate (FORT) and follicle-to oocyte index (FOI) was observed in women treated with resveratrol-based nutraceutical (0.92 versus 0.77 [p = 0.02], and 0.77 versus 0.64 [p = 0.006], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary results from this study indicate that pre-treatment with resveratrol may improve ovarian sensitivity to exogenous FSH, which in turn may decrease the risk of hypo-response to OS in advanced reproductive age women.

Molecular Mechanism of Resveratrol and Its Therapeutic Potential on Female Infertility

Resveratrol is a polyphenol present in various plant sources. Studies have reported numerous potential health benefits of resveratrol, exhibiting anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-carcinogenic activity. Due to the reported effects, resveratrol is also being tested in reproductive disorders, including female infertility. Numerous cellular, animal, and even human studies were performed with a focus on the effect of resveratrol on female infertility. In this review, we reviewed some of its molecular mechanisms of action and summarized animal and human studies regarding resveratrol and female infertility, with a focus on age-related infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, and endometriosis.

Nutritional supplements and IVF: an evidence-based approach

Many women undergoing IVF take supplements during treatment. The purpose of this review was to systematically review these nutritional supplements. The therapies studied are dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), melatonin, co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ1O), carnitine, selenium, vitamin D, myo-inositol, omega-3, Chinese herbs and dietary interventions. A literature search up to May 2023 was undertaken. The data suggest that a simple nutritional approach would be to adopt a Mediterranean diet. With regards to supplements to treat a potential poor ovarian response to ovarian stimulation, starting DHEA and COQ-10 before cycle commencement is better than control therapies. Furthermore, medication with CoQ10 may have some merit, although it is unclear whether its place is for older women, for those with a poor response to ovarian stimulation or for poor embryonic development. There appears a benefit for some IVF outcomes for the use of melatonin, although it is unclear what group of patients would derive the benefit and the appropriate dosing regimen. For women with polycystic ovary syndrome, there may be a benefit to the use of myo-inositol, although again the dosing regimen is unclear. Furthermore, the place of vitamin D supplementation has yet to be clarified, and supplementation with omega-3 free fatty acids may lead to improvements in clinical and embryological IVF outcomes.

A Circular RNA Derived from the Pumilio 1 Gene Could Regulate PTEN in Human Cumulus Cells

CircRNAs are a class of non-coding RNAs able to regulate gene expression at multiple levels. Their involvement in physiological processes, as well as their altered regulation in different human diseases, both tumoral and non-tumoral, is well documented. However, little is known about their involvement in female reproduction. This study aims to identify circRNAs potentially involved in reproductive women's health. Candidate circRNAs expressed in ovary and sponging miRNAs, already known to be expressed in the ovary, were selected by a computational approach. Using real time PCR, we verified their expression and identified circPUM1 as the most interesting candidate circRNA for further analyses. We assessed the expression of circPUM1 and its linear counterpart in all the follicle compartments and, using a computational and experimental approach, identified circPUM1 direct and indirect targets, miRNAs and mRNAs, respectively, in cumulus cells. We found that both circPUM1 and its mRNA host gene are co-expressed in all the follicle compartments and proposed circPUM1 as a potential regulator of PTEN, finding a strong positive correlation between circPUM1 and PTEN mRNA. These results suggest a possible regulation of PTEN by circPUM1 in cumulus cells and point out the important role of circRNA inside the pathways related to follicle growth and oocyte maturation.

Exploring Major Flavonoid Phytochemicals from Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. as Potential Skin Anti-Aging Agents: In Silico and In Vitro Evaluations

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., an aquatic medicinal plant (Nelumbonaceae family), has a history of use in traditional medicine across various regions. Our previous study demonstrated the skin anti-aging potential of its stamen ethanolic extract by effectively inhibiting collagenase and tyrosinase enzymes. While the major constituents of this extract are well documented, there is a lack of research on the individual compounds' abilities to inhibit skin aging enzymes. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the anti-aging potential of the primary flavonoids found in N. nucifera using both in silico and in vitro approaches. Our initial step involved molecular docking to identify compounds with the potential to inhibit collagenase, elastase, and tyrosinase. Among the seven flavonoids studied, kaempferol-3-O-robinobioside (Kae-3-Rob) emerged as the most promising candidate, exhibiting the highest docking scores for three skin aging-related enzymes. Subsequent enzyme-based inhibition assays confirmed that Kae-3-Rob displayed robust inhibitory activity against collagenase (58.24 ± 8.27%), elastase (26.29 ± 7.16%), and tyrosinase (69.84 ± 6.07%). Furthermore, we conducted extensive 200-ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, revealing the stability of the complexes formed between Kae-3-Rob and each enzyme along the MD simulation time. MM/PBSA-based binding free energy calculations indicated the considerably stronger binding affinity of Kae-3-Rob for collagenase and tyrosinase compared to elastase, which was related to the greater percentage of hydrogen bond occupations. These computational findings were consistent with the relatively high inhibitory activity of Kae-3-Rob against collagenase and tyrosinase observed in our in vitro experiment. In conclusion, the results obtained from this comprehensive study suggest that Kae-3-Rob, a key flavonoid from N. nucifera, holds significant potential as a source of bioactive compounds for anti-aging cosmeceutical and other phytopharmaceutical application.

Phytochemicals: Alternative for Infertility Treatment and Associated Conditions

Infertility and obstetric complications have become global health issues in the past few years. Infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to conceive even after twelve months or more of regular and unprotected intercourse. According to WHO data published in the year 2020, 186 million people have infertility globally. Factors leading to infertility are variable in both males and females. But some common factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and stress. Various synthetic drugs and treatment options are available that are effective in treating infertility, but their prolonged usage produces various unwanted adverse effects like hot flashes, mood swings, headaches, and weight gain. In extreme cases, these may also lead to the development of anxiety and depression. Herbal remedies have gained a lot of popularity over the years, and people's inclination toward them has increased all over the world. The prime reason is that these show significant therapeutic efficacy and have fewer side effects. The therapeutic efficacy of plants can be attributed to the presence of diverse phytochemical classes of constituents like alkaloids, flavonoids, and volatile oils. These secondary metabolites, or phytomolecules, can be used to develop herbal formulations. The review highlights the applications and mechanisms of action of various phytochemicals for treating infertility. Also, it focuses on the various future prospects associated with it.

The impact of epigenetic landscape on ovarian cells in infertile older women undergoing IVF procedures

The constant decline in fertility and older reproductive age is the major cause of low clinical pregnancy rates in industrialised countries. Epigenetic mechanisms impact on proper embryonic development in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) protocols. Here, we describe the main epigenetic modifications that may influence female reproduction and could affect IVF success.

Resveratrol and SIRT1: Antiaging Cornerstones for Oocytes?

It is well-known that there is an enormous variability in the aging-related decline of oocytes' quantity and their developmental competence among mammalian species. The implication of female germline aging is profound from the perspective of evolutionary conservation of the aging mechanism, a topic of continuous and widespread interest that has yet to be fully addressed for the mammalian oocyte. There is a certain need to develop novel antiaging strategies to delay or slow down aging, or even to reverse the aging phenotype in the oocyte. In the past two decades, several antioxidants have been tested for this purpose. Resveratrol is one of these latter-mentioned compounds, which has shown anti-inflammatory and antiaging properties in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, resveratrol appears to enhance the activity of so-called Sirtuin 1, too. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the latest findings related to resveratrol, Sirtuin 1, and their crosstalk and influence on the mammalian oocyte to elucidate the question of whether these factors can delay or slow down reproductive aging.