The Synergistic Role of Curcumin and L-Carnitine in Mitigating Cryo-preservation-Induced Damage in Human Sperm.

OBJECTIVE: Sperm cryopreservation serves as a vital technique in assisted reproductive technologies and the preservation of male fertility; however, this process often leads to a marked decline in sperm quality. Using exter-nal antioxidants to counteract the buildup of free radicals during cryopreservation has proven to be an effective ap-proach for improving sperm quality after thawing. This study aimed to evaluate the combined effect of Curcumin and L-carnitine on human sperm motility, viability, mor-phology, DNA integrity, and lipid peroxidation following cryopreservation. METHODS: Forty semen samples from normozoosper-mic men were divided into four groups: control, Curcum-in (20μm), L-carnitine (100μm), and a combination group (Curcumin + L-carnitine). Samples were cryopreserved for one week and subsequently thawed at 37∘C for 5 minutes. Post-thaw analysis included assessment of sperm motility (using CASA), viability (eosin-nigrosin staining), morphol-ogy, DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay), and malondialde-hyde (MDA) levels (TBARS assay). RESULTS: Both Curcumin and L-carnitine treatments significantly improved sperm motility and viability com-pared to the control group (p<0.01). The combination group exhibited the highest levels of motility and the low-est levels of MDA and DNA fragmentation, indicating supe-rior protection against oxidative stress and DNA damage. No significant differences were observed in sperm mor-phology across the groups. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with Curcumin and L-carnitine during sperm cryopreservation enhances post-thaw sperm quality, particularly improving motility and preserving DNA integrity. Further studies evaluating func-tional outcomes are necessary before clinical application.