Determination of the Antioxidant Capacity of Human Seminal Fluid Using a Fast and Accurate Electrochemical Approach

Infertility affects around 10-15% of couples worldwide, out of which male factor contributes to 30-50% of cases of infertility. Oxidative stress, which corresponds to an imbalance between antioxidant capacities and reactive oxygen species, is considered a leading cause of male infertility. Therefore, the ability to monitor antioxidant capacity in seminal fluid is critical as it sustains free radical balance in the sperm. Most currently available methods to assess antioxidant capacity in seminal fluid are time-consuming, require specialized equipment, or are not easily implemented in clinical routine practice. Here, we evaluate the applicability of an electrochemical approach to determine the antioxidant capacity of human seminal fluid. We show that the results of this electrochemical approach are comparable to those of two reference methods for evaluating free radical scavenging activity, namely 2,20-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), when measuring the antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma or antioxidant molecules such as 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchromane-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox), ascorbic acid, and uric acid. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of the method for the assessment of the antioxidant capacity of seminal fluid isolated from 30 normozoospermic patients (528.2 ± 142 nW). Further analysis demonstrates a positive correlation between the antioxidant capacity measured through the electrochemical approach and sperm concentration. Overall, this electrochemical approach provides a fast and accurate assessment of total antioxidant capacity in human seminal fluid. It may be implemented as a complementary tool in the routine evaluation of male infertility.