Phelligridin D from Phellinus baumii Reduces Boar Sperm Viability

Abstract

Phelligridin D (Phe D) is a compound isolated from Phellinus baumii, which is known for various biological activities. In this study, the authors examined the effect of Phe D on boar spermatozoa for its potential application in assisted reproductive technology for mammals. Sperm motility and deubiquitinylating activity significantly decreased when boar spermatozoa were incubated with Phe D (>0.5 μM). The fluorescence intensities of dead sperm, and reactive oxygen species production increased after sperm incubation in the presence of Phe D. Although Phe D is associated with antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity, sperm viability deteriorated after its addition. This could lead to fertilization failure, including that following artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization. Phe D might have other biological functions in spermatozoa, and therefore requires additional studies in the future.

Acknowledgements

We thank Hee-Jung Lee for assistance with the experiments. This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2013R1A6A3A04063769).

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