Protective activity of Chlorella vulgaris microalgae extract on the in vitro cultured oocytes

Authors

1 Department of Animal Biology; Faculty of Biological Science; Kharazmi University; Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Biotechnology; Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology; Tehran, Iran

10.22092/ijfs.2024.131312

Abstract

Free radical scavengers, which act as antioxidants, have the potential to prevent oocyte aging and preserve fertilization capacity. The microalgae are an important source of antioxidants in the environment. This study examined the protective effects of methanol extracts derived from Chlorella sp. microalgae on the viability and maturation of oocytes obtained from mice under in vitro conditions. The microalgae were collected from the Persian Gulf region and cultured in Bold's Basal medium. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was assessed using the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods. Oocytes from female Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice were treated with the microalgae extracts for 16 h. The viability and maturity of the oocytes were evaluated using inverted microscopy. The expression levels of SIRT-3, BMP-15, and GDF-9 genes in the treated oocytes were analyzed using real-time PCR. Both extracts showed antioxidant properties, according to the findings of FRAP and DPPH analyses. Untreated oocytes had a survival percentage of 58% without maturation. However, oocytes treated with either extract at a dosage of 150 µg/ml had a survival rate of over 70%. The gene expression levels of SIRT-3 and BMP-15 were significantly higher in the treatment groups compared to the control group. In conclusion, Chlorella sp. extracts demonstrated protective effects on oocyte survival, but they did not significantly impact oocyte maturation. This study emphasizes the potential therapeutic uses of microalgae extracts from the Persian Gulf for disorders associated with infertility.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences
Volume 23, Issue 4
July 2024
Pages 589-602

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