Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Infertility in Females01:28

Infertility in Females

3.5K
Female infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after a year of regular, unprotected intercourse and affects about 10–15% of couples worldwide. The primary cause of female infertility is ovulatory disorders, which hinder the release of eggs. These disorders can be classified as hypothalamic amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure, and hyperprolactinemic anovulation disorders.
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of...
3.5K
Oogenesis02:07

Oogenesis

68.3K
In human women, oogenesis produces one mature egg cell or ovum for every precursor cell that enters meiosis. This process differs in two unique ways from the equivalent procedure of spermatogenesis in males. First, meiotic divisions during oogenesis are asymmetric, meaning that a large oocyte (containing most of the cytoplasm) and minor polar body are produced as a result of meiosis I, and again following meiosis II. Since only oocytes will go on to form embryos if fertilized, this unequal...
68.3K
Spermatogenesis01:41

Spermatogenesis

115.8K
Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced in the male testes. It starts with stem cells located close to the outer rim of seminiferous tubules. These spermatogonial stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to additional stem cells (meaning that these structures “self-renew”), as well as sperm progenitors, called spermatocytes. Importantly, this method of asymmetric mitotic division maintains a population of spermatogonial stem cells in the male...
115.8K
Radical Autoxidation01:20

Radical Autoxidation

2.8K
The oxidation of an organic compound in the presence of air or oxygen is called autoxidation. For example, cumene reacts with oxygen to form hydroperoxide. Autoxidation involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. Many organic compounds are susceptible to autoxidation—especially ethers in the presence of oxygen, which form hydroperoxides. Even though this reaction is slow, old ether bottles contain small amounts of peroxide, which leads to laboratory explosions during ether...
2.8K
Infertility in Males01:23

Infertility in Males

460
Male infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, arising from various factors that impact different stages of the reproductive process. An endocrine imbalance resulting from conditions like hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, or pituitary disorders can disrupt hormone levels and reduce sperm production. Testicular defects, such as tumors, cryptorchidism, atrophic testes, abnormal sperm morphology, and low sperm count or motility, may arise due to genetic factors, structural...
460
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones01:17

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones

4.2K
In the presence of oxidizing agents, phenols are oxidized to quinones. Quinones can be easily reduced back to phenols using mild reducing agents. The electron-donating hydroxyl group enhances the reactivity of the aromatic ring, enabling oxidation of the ring even in the absence of an α hydrogen.
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox...
4.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Can vitamin D supplementation prevent respiratory infections in young children?

Journal of primary health care·2026
Same author

Fertility treatment and risk of cerebral palsy: has the association changed in Australia?

Human reproduction (Oxford, England)·2026
Same author

Embryo-derived extracellular vesicles and their potential as biomarkers for embryo quality during IVF: a systematic review.

Human reproduction update·2026
Same author

Time to publication for results of clinical trials: a Cochrane review.

Emergencias : revista de la Sociedad Espanola de Medicina de Emergencias·2026
Same author

Is intermittent fasting an effective intervention for adults living with obesity?

Journal of primary health care·2026
Same author

Childhood Sleep Behaviours and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Risk in Adolescence: The Raine Study Cohort Longitudinal Study.

The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism·2026
Same journal

Interventions to prevent or cease electronic cigarette use in children and adolescents.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Drugs to improve anaemia, quality of life, and physical function in people with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Interventions for smoking cessation in inpatient psychiatry settings.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Mechanical thromboprophylaxis for preventing intradialytic hypotension in people undergoing maintenance haemodialysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Prognostic models for predicting intensive care unit admission or mortality in critically ill adults not yet been admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Views and experiences of weight management for people living with mobility‑limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities or severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 10, 2025

Evaluation of Intracellular Location of Reactive Oxygen Species in Solea Senegalensis Spermatozoa
10:24

Evaluation of Intracellular Location of Reactive Oxygen Species in Solea Senegalensis Spermatozoa

Published on: March 11, 2018

6.5K

Antioxidants for female subfertility.

Marian G Showell1, Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor2, Vanessa Jordan1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|August 28, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This review found low-quality evidence that antioxidants may benefit subfertile women, potentially improving pregnancy rates. However, there is no clear evidence of increased risks for miscarriage or multiple births.

More Related Videos

Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives
08:46

Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives

Published on: September 16, 2021

6.4K
Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction
12:03

Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction

Published on: March 25, 2021

4.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 10, 2025

Evaluation of Intracellular Location of Reactive Oxygen Species in Solea Senegalensis Spermatozoa
10:24

Evaluation of Intracellular Location of Reactive Oxygen Species in Solea Senegalensis Spermatozoa

Published on: March 11, 2018

6.5K
Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives
08:46

Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives

Published on: September 16, 2021

6.4K
Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction
12:03

Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction

Published on: March 25, 2021

4.9K

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Systematic Review

Background:

  • Female subfertility affects up to 25% of couples trying to conceive.
  • Oxidative stress is implicated in female subfertility, with antioxidants proposed to mitigate its effects.
  • Existing evidence on antioxidant efficacy for fertility is limited and yields varied results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effectiveness of oral antioxidant supplements in improving fertility outcomes for subfertile women.
  • To compare antioxidants against placebo, no treatment, standard treatment, or other antioxidants.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted.
  • Searched multiple databases up to September 2019, including Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and AMED.
  • Included 63 RCTs involving 7760 women, comparing various oral antioxidants with placebo, no treatment, or other antioxidants.

Main Results:

  • Low-quality evidence suggests antioxidants may improve clinical pregnancy rates (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.89).
  • Uncertainty exists regarding live birth rates due to very low-quality evidence (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.36 to 2.43).
  • No significant differences were found in rates of miscarriage, multiple pregnancy, gastrointestinal disturbances, or ectopic pregnancy, though evidence quality was low to very low.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence is of low to very low quality, indicating that oral antioxidants may offer some benefit to subfertile women.
  • No increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes like miscarriage or multiple births was observed.
  • Further high-quality research is needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of antioxidant supplementation for female subfertility.