Antioxidative roles of Glutathione, Butylated Hydroxytoluene and Melatonin in semen preservation- A Review

Excessive production of ROS which causes sperm damage is the most probable reason for poor post-thaw characteristics of semen by causing lipid peroxidation of sperm membrane system and causing a reduction in the antioxidant capacity of cryopreserved semen. To mitigate the negative influence of ROS, spermatozoa have some antioxidant systems that scavenge ROS and prevents it from causing cellular damage. This article reviews the use of glutathione, butylated hydroxytolouene, and melatonin as non-enzymatic antioxidants in reducing oxidative stress on preserved semen quality. Supplementation of extenders with these antioxidants help mitigate the impact of oxidative stress during storage of sperm, which helps improve the quality of stored semen. These nonenzymatic antioxidants are recommended to facilitate the enhancement of sperm cells during storage. Studies should be conducted to investigate if these antioxidants have resultant effects on conception rates when used for artificial insemination.