What is the effect of Astaxanthin (AST) on pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress (OS) markers, and early pregnancy outcomes in infertile women with endometriosis undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ART)?
Astaxanthin Softgels, a randomized trial (Front Endocrinol 2023, PMID 37020589) — AST pretreatment can modulate inflammation and oxidative stress in infertile patients with endometriosis, and improve ART outcomes after 12 weeks of therapy. Scope: over 12 weeks, and the abstract states no limitations.
Source: Front Endocrinol 2023, PMID 37020589 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: medium
Front Endocrinol · 2023 · PMID 37020589 · DOI 10.3389/fendo.2023.1144323
Astaxanthin supplementation improved markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and enhanced ART outcomes in infertile women with endometriosis.
The question
What is the effect of Astaxanthin (AST) on pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress (OS) markers, and early pregnancy outcomes in infertile women with endometriosis undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ART)?
What they tested
The study hypothesized that Astaxanthin (AST) treatment would modulate inflammation and oxidative stress markers, and improve early pregnancy outcomes in infertile women with endometriosis undergoing ART.
How they did it
This was a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 50 infertile women with stage III/IV endometriosis who were candidates for ART. Participants received 6 mg of AST per day for 12 weeks. Blood serum and follicular fluid (FF) samples were collected before and after treatment to measure pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and OS markers (MDA, SOD, CAT, TAC). ART outcomes were also compared between the groups.
What they found
After AST therapy, the treatment group showed increased serum levels of TAC (398.661 vs. 364.746) and SOD (13.458 vs. 9.040), and decreased serum MDA (14.619 vs. 15.939). Significantly lower serum levels of IL-1β (4.515 vs. 6.8760), IL-6 (5.516 vs. 5.0543), and TNF-α (2.520 vs. 2.968) were also observed. Additionally, AST supplementation led to an improved number of oocytes retrieved (14.60 vs. 9.84), mature (MII) oocytes (10.48 vs. 6.72), and high-quality embryos (4.52 vs. 2.72).
| Serum TAC (After AST) | 398.661 | |
|---|---|---|
| Serum TAC (Before AST) | 364.746 | |
| Serum SOD (After AST) | 13.458 | |
| Serum SOD (Before AST) | 9.04 | |
| Serum MDA (After AST) | 14.619 | |
| Serum MDA (Before AST) | 15.939 | |
| Oocytes Retrieved (After AST) | 14.6 | |
| Oocytes Retrieved (Before AST) | 9.84 |
This chart illustrates the changes in key oxidative stress markers (TAC, SOD, MDA) and the number of oocytes retrieved in infertile women with endometriosis after 12 weeks of Astaxanthin treatment compared to before treatment.
What it means
AST pretreatment can modulate inflammation and oxidative stress in infertile patients with endometriosis, and improve ART outcomes after 12 weeks of therapy. These results suggest AST could be a potential therapeutic target for this patient population.
Limitations
The abstract does not explicitly state any limitations of the study.
Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.
The paper at a glance
| Magellan’s evidence label | raises antioxidant capacity, lowers MDA (our label for this citation — see PubMed for the paper’s own title and authors) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Front Endocrinol |
| Year | 2023 |
| PMID | 37020589 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.3389/fendo.2023.1144323 ↗ |
| Topic | Immunity, inflammation & resilience |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Astaxanthin Softgels
In humans, randomized trials and meta-analyses most consistently show that astaxanthin lowers the lipid-peroxidation marker malondialdehyde (MDA) and raises total antioxidant capacity and superoxide-dismutase activity, with additional signals for modest improvements in skin moisture and elasticity, fatigue, and some…
Astaxanthin is a reddish xanthophyll carotenoid produced mainly by the microalga Haematococcus…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). What is the effect of Astaxanthin (AST) on pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress (OS) markers, and early pregnancy outcomes in infertile women with endometriosis undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ART)? [Plain-English summary of Front Endocrinol 2023, PMID 37020589, DOI 10.3389/fendo.2023.1144323]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s107.html@misc{magellan_s107,
title = {What is the effect of Astaxanthin (AST) on pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress (OS) markers, and early pregnancy outcomes in infertile women with endometriosis undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ART)?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s107.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 37020589; DOI 10.3389/fendo.2023.1144323; Front Endocrinol 2023. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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