A Review on Antioxidant Function in Promoting Oocyte Quality During in Vitro Maturation

Antioxidant supplementation with culture media has emerged as a most promising technique in the field of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) for producing quality mature oocytes by using oocytes derived from in vivo or ex vivo ovaries. In vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes is the first and most critical process that requires proper bidirectional communication between the oocyte and its surrounding cumulus cells. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during IVM is an invariable phenomenon that slows down communication between oocytes and cumulus cells and severely impairs oocyte developmental acquisition. Antioxidant supplementation is the best way of combating the undesirable effects of ROS produced during culture in vitro. Much research both in animal and human models explored that IVM with antioxidants either enzymatic or non-enzymatic significantly improved oocyte quality as well as subsequent embryo development. Despite, an overall favorable outcome that has been perceived, the specific mechanism of antioxidants in improving oocyte quality regimen remains unknown. Therefore, the goal of this review is to explore the need for antioxidants during culture in vitro and provide the mechanism accomplished with oocyte quality. This study will open new perspectives to understand why, antioxidants need to be included under in vitro model and may be contributed to enhance the outcome of ART.