Impact of Different Antioxidants on Vitrification of Ovarian Tissue in Sheep

A study was carried out to determine the effects of antioxidants - resveratrol, quercetin and catechin on post-thaw viability, morphology of retrieved oocytes, histology and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of vitrified ovarian tissue in sheep. The number of oocytes retrieved from the ovarian cortex from resveratrol, quercetin, catechin and vitrified control was 29, 33, 27 and 24, respectively. Cumulus cell loss and morphologically normal oocytes showed non-significant differences among the antioxidant groups. Histomorphological assessment showed lower (P<0.05) percentage of intact normal follicles in the resveratrol (56.36±3.79) than quercetin (64.50±3.10), catechin (66.67±4.67), vitrified control (64.47±0.92) and fresh control (78.74±0.55). Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly (P<0.05) lower in the fresh control (15.00±0.98 nM/ml) compared to vitrified control (56.79±6.21 nM/ml), resveratrol (30.90±3.79 nM/ml), quercetin (28.59±2.26 nM/ml), and catechin (28.59±2.83 nM/ml). It was concluded that antioxidants significantly reduced MDA levels post-thaw.