Effects of maternal ageing and dietary antioxidant supplementation on ovulation, fertilisation and embryo development in vitro in the mouse.

The present study aims to ascertain whether dietary supplementation with a mixture of vitamins C and E may prevent the maternal-age-associated decrease in both the number of ovulated oocytes after exogenous ovarian stimulation and embryo development in vitro in the mouse. Experimental females were fed a standard diet supplemented with i) high doses of vitamins C and E from the first day of weaning until 12 or 40 weeks of age; or ii) moderate doses of vitamins C and E from the first day of weaning until 12 weeks of age or from 22 to 33 weeks of age. The age-related reduction in ovulation rate was partially prevented by supplementing diet with high doses of vitamins C and E from the first day…