Natural products and their components ameliorate aging-induced reproductive disorders: a narrative review

Dai, Xiaowei1,*; Zhang, Luying2; Muhammad, Akmal3; Zhou, Zhenhuan

1Reproductive Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China

2College of Chinese Materia Medica, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China

3Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

*Correspondence to: Xiaowei Dai, MM, davidjdey@163.com; Zhenhuan Zhou, MM, zhou_zh@jlu.edu.cn

Abstract

Aging affects various organs of the human body. Reproductive aging is the age-related decline in reproductive capacity, such as ovarian senescence and sperm senescence, which leads to reproductive disorders. Infertility and reproductive disorders are closely related, and improving the physical and mental health of these patients has a positive impact on social development and family relationships. Most natural products have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-enhancing effects, which positively affect reproductive aging. Therefore, this article provides a brief introduction to the causes associated with reproductive aging and a review of the mechanisms of action of different types of natural products on aging-induced reproductive disorders. Therefore, we describe the causes associated with reproductive aging and synthesize the mechanisms of different types of natural products against aging-induced reproductive disorders. The article includes the latest findings and trends in relevant research from both in vitro and in vivo experiments, leading to the development of natural medicines for the treatment of reproductive aging that are both low in side effects and fast in efficacy. Natural products exert anti-reproductive disorders effects in males and females through various mechanisms, mainly including antioxidant activity, regulation of the ovarian microenvironment, and improvement of sperm quality. For example, icariin, the main ingredient in Epimedium, can reduce testicular toxicity and alleviate reproductive disorders; both ginseng and Cynomorium songaricum extracts can promote sperm production and improve sperm viability. Among the natural products of animal origin, antlers and oysters have significant ameliorating effects on reproductive disorders. However, there are still limitations in the study of aging-induced reproductive disorders, and the use of natural products in many clinical cases is relatively rare; thus, their safety in humans remains to be examined. Owing to their unique advantages and few side effects, natural products have great potential in the treatment of reproductive aging and are expected to be potential drugs for reducing the incidence of infertility worldwide. The anti-reproductive aging activities of these natural products should be explored more deeply in future studies to develop safer and more effective anti-reproductive aging drugs, thus contributing to improvements in the number and quality of newborns.

天然产物成分改善衰老致生殖障碍：叙述性综述

摘要

衰老对人体的各个器官都有影响。生殖衰老是指与年龄有关的生殖能力下降，如卵巢衰老和精子衰老，从而导致生殖障碍。不孕不育和生殖障碍密切相关，改善这些患者的身心健康对社会发展和家庭关系有着积极的影响。天然产品大多具有抗炎、抗氧化和增强免疫力的作用，对生殖衰老有积极影响。因此，文章介绍了与生殖衰老相关的原因，并综述了不同类型的天然产品对衰老引起的生殖障碍的作用机制。文章包括体外和体内实验中相关研究的最新发现和趋势，从而开发出副作用小、疗效快的治疗生殖衰老的天然药物。天然药物通过多种机制，主要是抗氧化、调节卵巢微环境和改善精子质量，对男性和女性产生抗生殖障碍的作用。例如，淫羊藿的主要成分淫羊藿苷可以降低睾丸毒性，缓解生殖障碍；人参和仙鹤草提取物都能促进精子生成，提高精子活力。在动物源性天然产物中，鹿茸和牡蛎对生殖障碍有显著的改善作用。然而，对衰老引起的生殖障碍的研究还存在一定的局限性，许多临床病例中天然产品的应用相对较少，因此其对人体的安全性还有待研究。天然产物以其独特的资源优势和低副作用，在治疗生殖衰老方面具有较大的潜力，有望成为降低全球不孕不育发病率的潜在药物。在今后的研究中，应更深入地探讨这些天然产物的抗生殖衰老活性，以开发出更安全、更有效的抗生殖衰老药物，从而为提高新生儿的数量和质量做出贡献。