Effect of vitamin E, resveratrol and vitamin C on the in vitro development and quality of porcine IVF embryos

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of various concentrations of antioxidants such as vitamin E, resveratrol and vitamin C on the development of pig embryos obtained after in vitro fertilization of in vitro matured porcine oocytes. Furthermore we examined the time of development, the quality of blastocysts and ROS levels in pig embryos cultured with vitamin C. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were obtained from gilt ovaries. COCs were matured in the TCM-199 medium (Tissue Culture Medium 199 Hepes) for 42 h at 39? and 5% CO2 to metaphase 2. Matured oocytes were fertilized in vitro. In the experimental groups the presumptive zygotes were cultured up to the blastocyst stage in the NCSU-23 (IVC) medium supplemented with vitamin E (50 and 100 mu M/mL) or resveratrol (0.5 and 1 mu M/mL) or vitamin C (10 and 20 mu g/mL). In the control group embryos were cultured without any supplements. The addition of vitamin E (50 and 100 mu M/mL) or resveratrol (0.5 or 1 mu M/mL) to the in vitro culture medium of pig embryos did not have a positive effect on embryonic development and did not statistically significantly increase the percentage of cleavage and blastocysts. In contrast, the addition of vitamin C in the amount of 20 mu g/mL to the IVC medium significantly accelerated the time of embryo development in vitro and statistically significantly decreased the level of ROS in pig blastocysts produced in vitro.