title: Confocal mirco-Raman spectroscopic analysis of the antioxidant protection mechanism of the oligosaccharides extracted from Morinda officinalis on human sperm DNA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Male infertility is a stressful and frustrating problem for the society, but a number of male infertility treatments are available as traditional Chinese medicine strategies which have been tried with variable success, while evidence is still limited on whether-or how much-herbs or supplements might help increase fertility, so the aim of this study was to investigate if the oligosaccharides extracted from Morinda officialis, a Chinese herb, is the active constituents to the fertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we prepared the H2O2-demaged human sperm, cocultured with the oligosaccharides in vitro, then observed the changes of the DNA using confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy, and comparative analysis the differences of the spectra of different treated groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the oligosaccharides extracted from Morinda officialis can keep the "Raman fingerprints" of the human sperm DNA almost the same as those of the control groups, but very different from the H2O2-induced groups, especially the intensity of bands at 787, 993, 1094, 1254, 1340, 1376, 1421, 1443, 1487, 1577 and 1662cm(-1) which could be as potential targets for the drugs finding, and further principal component analysis was successfully used to classify the Raman spectra of normal control and model groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This results suggested that the oligosaccharides can protect the DNA of human sperm from being damaged by H2O2, and which was one of the active constituents of Morinda officialis on treating infertility. It was also demonstrated that Morinda officialis as a tonifying and replenishing natural herb medicine can be used to enhance reproductive functions, and the Raman spectroscopy could be an applicable technology for screening active components in vitro from herbs.
authors: Southern Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, People׳s Republic of China.
authors: Di-Ling
authors: DL
authors: Chen
authors: Southern Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, People׳s Republic of China.
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Li
authors: College of Chinese Materia Medical, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, People׳s Republic of China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, People׳s Republic of China.
authors: He-ming
authors: HM
authors: Long
authors: College of Chinese Materia Medical, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, People׳s Republic of China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Infertility and Sexual Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, People׳s Republic of China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Southern Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, People׳s Republic of China. Electronic address: d_zhm@163.com.
authors: He-Ming
authors: HM
authors: Zhang
authors: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, People׳s Republic of China. Electronic address: zengchch@glmc.edu.cn.
authors: Chang-chun
authors: CC
authors: Zeng
authors: Southern Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, People׳s Republic of China.
authors: Song-Hao
authors: SH
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods; D032066:Morinda / Q000737:chemistry*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide
keywords: 1(F)-Fructofuranosylnystose (PubChem CID:3085157); Alpha-2-desoxyribose (PubChem CID: 6427850).; Antioxidative protection mechanism; Beta-2-desoxyribose (PubChem CID:642785); DNA damage; Human sperm; Hydrogen peroxide (PubChem CID:784) 1-kestose (PubChem CID:440080); Malondialdehyde (PubChem CID:10964); Nystose (PubChem CID:166775); Oligosaccharides of Morinda officinalis; Phosphodiester (PubChem CID:16133915); Raman spectroscopy