The Effect of Supplements on Spermatogenesis Quality: A Systematic Review

Background: One of the most controversial issues is male reproductive health and infertility. In the quality of male reproductive sperm, the quality of semen is important. Nutritional sperm concentration is important for reproductive function. Dietary supplements are essential for metabolism and various functions. Methods: We systematically probed different databases and gateways including Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar following the PRISMA guidelines. The keywords used were "Spermatogenesis", "Effect of supplement", "Sperm quality", and "Supplementation effect dietary". Finally, 11 articles were selected based on their title and abstract. Results: Cordyceps species, C. militaris (CM), and others are valuable traditional medicinal materials. CM has been traditionally used for the enhancement of sexual performance. Nutrition is important for reproductive performance; dietary supplementation with vitamin C causes a doubling of vitamin C levels in seminal fluid and reduced DNA damage. This would protect human sperm from endogenous oxidative DNA damage that affects sperm quality. Supplementation with selenium and vitamin E also improved sperm quality in boars and vitamin E increased the concentration of spermatozoa in semen. Sperm production is enhanced significantly in adult pigs with supplementation with CM. It is metabolized in the testis, where VDRregulated proteins and enzymes mediate vitamin D in human spermatozoa and increase intracellular calcium concentrations, thus inducing sperm motility. Overall, Zn supplementation leads to successful outcomes in more than 50% of infertile cases. Following the supplementation of Zn with folate, an increase in sperm count was observed in oligospermic patients. Conclusion: Spermatogenesis is a detailed and complex process. Evidence has shown that diet and supplements can affect spermatogenesis quality and quantity. In addition, there are herbal supplements such as Resveratrol and Maca that improve semen production. Evidence has shown that vitamin D and Zn supplementation is also an effective product in modulating testicular steroidogenesis. Keywords * Dietary supplements * Spermatogenesis * Spermatozoa * Vitamins