the effect of grape seed extract on semen oxidative stress markers in men with idiopathic infertility: a cross-sectional before-after study

Background: assisted reproductive technique is the last treatment resort for idiopathic male infertility (imi). in recent years, antioxidants have received vast attention to treat imi by decreasing seminal oxidative stress. methods: in this cross-sectional before-after study, we evaluated the effects of grape seed extract (gse) as an antioxidant on seminal chemistry. twenty-nine patients with imi were treated with gse 600 mg per day for 3 months. seminal catalase, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde, and serum fsh, lh, and testosterone levels were evaluated both at the beginning and at the end of the study. results: mean age of the patients was 32.5 ± 4.9 years. gse consumption resulted in increased semen catalase (44.67 ± 17.11 vs. 53.05 ± 18.6, p = 0.016), decreased semen malondialdehyde (1.77 ± 0.48 vs. 1.55 ± 0.43, p = 0.024), and increased serum fsh (3.53 ± 1.51 vs. 4.3 ± 2.00, p = 0.026). conclusions: our study revealed gse effectiveness in decreasing seminal oxidative stress in patients suffering from imi.