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. 2011 Jul;27(3):357-62.
doi: 10.4103/0970-1591.85440.

Herbo-mineral supplementation in men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia : A double blind randomized placebo-controlled trial

Rajeev Kumar  1 , Vaibhav Saxena, Monis Bilal Shamsi, S Venkatesh, Rima Dada
Affiliations

Herbo-mineral supplementation in men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia : A double blind randomized placebo-controlled trial

Rajeev Kumar et al. Indian J Urol. 2011 Jul.

Abstract

Introduction: There is insufficient scientific data on the medical management options for idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia (iOATs). We conducted a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of the herbo-mineral supplement, Addyzoa(®), in infertile men with iOATs. We also evaluated its effect on semen reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and DNA fragmentation index.

Materials and methods: Fifty infertile men with iOATS were recruited into an institutional ethics committee approved protocol from April to August 2009. Randomization was done using numbered, identical containers. Baseline semen samples were evaluated for routine parameters, ROS level, DNA fragmentation index and TAC. Drug/placebo was administered at a dose of two capsules twice a day for 3 months. All parameters were reassessed at 3 months and clinical side-effects were recorded. The study was registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India and is available at www.ctri.in as study protocol number CTRI/2009/091/000551.

Results: Forty-four subjects completed the study, 21 in the drug arm and 23 in the placebo arm. There was no difference in baseline parameters between the two groups. Men in the drug group had significant improvement in mean total motility from 23.2 ± 17.3% to 33.4 ± 23.2% (P-value: 0.008) and mean progressive (Type A+B) motility from 15.7 ± 12.6% to 22.6 ± 18.0% (P-value: 0.024). ROS, TAC and DFI did not change significantly in either group and did not show any correlation with other semen parameters.

Conclusions: Treatment with Addyzoa resulted in a significant improvement in total and progressive motility in the semen of men with iOATs after 3 months of therapy. There was no change in the sperm concentration, ROS, DFI or TAC levels.

Keywords: Antioxidant; drug therapy; idiopathic; infertility; oxidative stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: This study is funded by M/S Charak Pharmaceuticals, Mumbai, India. All funding was routed through the Research Section, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Investigators had no direct access to any funds. The study was registered on the Clinical Trials Registry (CTRI) and approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of AIIMS.

Figures

Appendix 1
Appendix 1
Composition of Addyzoa® capsule
Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT 2010 flow diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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