Trial Outcomes & Findings for Assessment of TetraSOD® Efficacy to Improve Semen Parameters in Men With Idiopathic Infertility (NCT NCT04864314)

NCT ID: NCT04864314

Last Updated: 2026-03-27

Results Overview

Sperm progressive motility (in percentage) will be assessed according to the method described in the WHO (World Health Organization) laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 5th ed. Geneva: World Health Organization (2010)

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

80 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

90 days

Results posted on

2026-03-27

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Control Group
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
Visit 1 (3 Months of Supplementation)
STARTED
40
40
Visit 1 (3 Months of Supplementation)
COMPLETED
31
31
Visit 1 (3 Months of Supplementation)
NOT COMPLETED
9
9
Visit 2 (3 Months of Wash-out)
STARTED
31
31
Visit 2 (3 Months of Wash-out)
COMPLETED
23
26
Visit 2 (3 Months of Wash-out)
NOT COMPLETED
8
5

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Control Group
n=40 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
n=40 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
Total
n=80 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
37.13 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.39 • n=40 Participants
37.02 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.71 • n=40 Participants
37.075 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.06 • n=80 Participants
Sex/Gender, Customized
Male
40 participants
n=40 Participants
40 participants
n=40 Participants
80 participants
n=80 Participants
Sex/Gender, Customized
Female
0 participants
n=40 Participants
0 participants
n=40 Participants
0 participants
n=80 Participants
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected
0 Participants
Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.
Region of Enrollment
Spain
40 participants
n=40 Participants
40 participants
n=40 Participants
80 participants
n=80 Participants
Body Mass Index (BMI)
26.35 Kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.81 • n=40 Participants
26.49 Kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.36 • n=40 Participants
26.42 Kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.07 • n=80 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 90 days

Sperm progressive motility (in percentage) will be assessed according to the method described in the WHO (World Health Organization) laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 5th ed. Geneva: World Health Organization (2010)

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Control Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
Sperm Progressive Motility
19.62 percentage
Standard Deviation 14.59
25.11 percentage
Standard Deviation 17.03

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 90 days

Sperm concentration will be determined according to the method described in the WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 5th ed. Geneva: World Health Organization (2010)

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Control Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
Sperm Concentration
38.70 Million sperm/ml
Standard Deviation 53.72
37.79 Million sperm/ml
Standard Deviation 49.19

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 90 days

DNA integrity/fragmentation was evaluated using the COMET assay. Approximately 10,000 sperm from cryopreserved samples were embedded in 1% low-melting-point agarose gel and subjected to lysis. Slides were immersed in either neutral or alkaline electrophoresis buffer for 30 min, followed by electrophoresis at 22 V for 10-15 min, maintaining current below 280 mA to prevent overheating. DNA was then stained with SYBR™ Gold (Invitrogen™, ThermoFisher scientific©, USA) and visualized by fluorescence microscopy. DNA fragments migrated further than intact chromatin, forming a characteristic comet tail. The percentage of fragmented sperm was quantified by analyzing 60-120 cells per sample.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Control Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
DNA Integrity
Single-strand DNA fragmentation
31.29 percentage of sperm with fragmented DNA
Standard Deviation 10.25
30.31 percentage of sperm with fragmented DNA
Standard Deviation 12.52
DNA Integrity
Double-strand DNA fragmentation
31.41 percentage of sperm with fragmented DNA
Standard Deviation 15.31
26.60 percentage of sperm with fragmented DNA
Standard Deviation 11.28

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 90 days

Any kind of adverse event attributable to TetraSOD® will be recorded during the duration of the trial

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Control Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
Adverse Effects
2 Number of participants
0 Number of participants

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: 90 days

In addition to seminal parameters and DNA fragmentation, sORP (static oxidation reduction potential) was also assessed using the MiOXSYS system. The MiOXSYS® galvanostatic system (Caerus Biotechnologies, Switzerland) was used to measure the balance between total oxidant and reductant activity in seminal plasma. For each measurement, 30 μl of fresh ejaculate was deposited on a single-use sample holder chip. The seminal sORP was then displayed in mV on the device screen and subsequently normalized to sperm concentration (sORP/C). Two different cohorts were defined in each experimental group, those presenting a pathological sORP/C (\>1.34 mV/million sperm/mL), and those presenting a non-pathological sORP/C (\<1.34 mV (millivolt)/million sperm/mL). Seminal parameters and DNA fragmentation wera analyzed in each cohort in each experimental group.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Control Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
n=31 Participants
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
MiOXSYS System as a Diagnostic Test of Abnormal Seminal Parameters and DNA Fragmentation
2.59 mV/10^6 sperm/mL
Standard Deviation 2.67
3.17 mV/10^6 sperm/mL
Standard Deviation 3.25

Adverse Events

Control Group

Serious events: 2 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Experimental Group

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Serious adverse events
Measure
Control Group
n=31 participants at risk
Group supplemented with a daily dose of placebo Sham: Participants in the Control group will receive a daily dose of placebo in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of placebo and a wash-out period of three months will start
Experimental Group
n=31 participants at risk
Group supplemented with a daily dose of TetraSOD® Marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii with high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity: Participants in the Experimental group will receive a daily dose of 250 mg of TetraSOD® in a capsule during 90 days. After treatment, the group will stop consumption of TetraSOD® and a wash-out period of three months will start
Reproductive system and breast disorders
Protruding in testes
3.2%
1/31 • Number of events 1 • 3 months
0.00%
0/31 • 3 months
Reproductive system and breast disorders
Epididymitis
3.2%
1/31 • Number of events 1 • 3 months
0.00%
0/31 • 3 months

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Dr Meritxell Jodar

Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Fundació Recerca Clínic Barcelona - IDIBAPS. Genetics Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain

Phone: +34 93 227 55 10

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place