Effect of curcumin on rat sperm morphology after the freeze-thawing process

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, induced by the cryopreservation process, can be responsible for mammalian sperm damage. Curcumin is known as an effective antioxidant against oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of curcumin on sperm count, motility and viability, semen total antioxidant capacity and DNA integrity of rat spermatozoa during semen freeze-thawing process. Sperm collected from 10 adult rats were divided into two groups (n=10 for each group): control and a test group supplemented with 2.5 mM curcumin. After freezing-thawing, the number of spermatozoa, motility, viability, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and DNA integrity of the sperm were analyzed. Motility, viability and DNA integrity of sperm were significantly preserved in treatment groups compared to the control (p < 0.05) after freezing-thawing. Following cryopreservation, TAC was significantly preserved in thawing semen supplemented with curcumin compared to the control group (p<0.05). Based on our results, it is concluded that curcumin addition during freezing resulted in positive effects on sperm parameters after thawing in adult rats.