Curcumin nanomicelle improves semen parameters, oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, and reproductive hormones in infertile men: A randomized clinical trial.

At least 50% of infertile couple's problems are related to male factor infertility. This Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial conducted in Urology unit of Infertility Clinic on 60 infertile men. Patients were randomly assigned to one of intervention and placebo (n = 30) groups. Finally, 28 subjects in each group completed the study. Participants in the intervention group took daily 80 mg curcumin nanomicelle and those in the placebo group took daily placebo for 10 weeks. Semen analysis, anthropometric, physical activity assessments, total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, inflammatory factors, and reproductive hormones were measured at the baseline and at the end of the study. At the end of study, statistically significant differences were seen in the total sperm count, sperm concentration, and motility in the intervention group to the control group. In treatment group, the total sperm count, sperm concentration, and motility levels were also statistically increased at the end of study compared to the baseline values. Curcumin nanomicelle supplementation also resulted in a statistically significant improvement in plasma levels of total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor a in comparison to the placebo. Medical therapy of asthenoteratospermia with curcumin nanomicelle supplement could improve quality of semen parameters. However, further investigation is suggested in this regard.

Chemo-immunotherapy using saffron and its ingredients followed by E7-NT (gp96) DNA vaccine generates different anti-tumor effects against tumors expressing the E7 protein of human papillomavirus.

Saffron and its components have been suggested as promising candidates for cancer prevention. Carotenoids and monoterpene aldehydes are two potent ingredients of saffron. The goal of the current study was to investigate the anti-tumor effect of chemo-immunotherapy using saffron and its ingredients followed by E7-NT (gp96) DNA vaccine against tumors expressing the E7 protein of human papillomavirus. The in vitro cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of aqueous saffron extract and its components were evaluated in malignant TC-1 and non-malignant COS-7 cell lines. Then, multimodality treatments using E7-NT (gp96) DNA vaccine combined with saffron extract and its ingredients as well as single-modality treatments were tested for their efficacy in inhibiting large and bulky tumor growth. Saffron and its components exerted a considerable anti-tumor effect through prevention of cell growth and stimulation of programmed cell death. Furthermore, 100 % of mice treated with crocin were tumor-free, in contrast to DNA vaccine alone (~66.7 %) and DNA + crocin (~33.3 %) indicating the high potency of crocin as a chemotherapeutic agent. Interestingly, the multimodality treatment using DNA vaccine along with picrocrocin augmented the anti-tumor effects of picrocrocin. Thus, the combination of DNA vaccine with saffron extract and crocin at certain concentrations did not potentiate protective and therapeutic effects compared to mono-therapies for the control of TC-1 tumors.