Importance of Antioxidant Supplementation during In Vitro Maturation of Mammalian Oocytes

The in vitro embryo production (IVEP) technique is widely used in the field of reproductive biology. In vitro maturation (IVM) is the first and most critical step of IVEP, during which, the oocyte is matured in an artificial maturation medium under strict laboratory conditions. Despite all of the progress in the field of IVEP, the quality of in vitro matured oocytes remains inferior to that of those matured in vivo. The accumulation of substantial amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within oocytes during IVM has been regarded as one of the main factors altering oocyte quality. One of the most promising approaches to overcome ROS accumulation within oocytes is the supplementation of oocyte IVM medium with antioxidants. In this article, we discuss recent advancements depicting the adverse effects of ROS on mammalian oocytes. We also discuss the potential use of antioxidants and their effect on both oocyte quality and IVM rate.