Asiatic acid supplementation during the in vitro culture period improves early embryonic development of porcine embryos produced by parthenogenetic activation, somatic cell nuclear transfer and in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Asiatic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene enriched in the medicinal herb Centella asiatica, and it has been suggested to possess free radical scavenging and anti-apoptotic properties. The purpose of the current study was to explore the effects of asiatic acid on porcine early-stage embryonic development and the potential mechanisms for any observed effects. The results showed that 10 μM asiatic acid supplementation during the in vitro culture period dramatically improved developmental competence in porcine embryos derived from parthenogenetic activation (PA), somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Further analysis revealed that asiatic acid attenuated H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Notably, asiatic acid not only enhanced intracellular GSH levels but also attenuated mitochondrial dysfunction. Gene expression analysis revealed that asiatic acid upregulated expression of the antioxidant-related gene Sod-1 and the blastocyst formation related gene Cox-2, while downregulating expression of the apoptosis-related gene Caspase-9 in SCNT blastocysts. These results suggest that asiatic acid exerts beneficial effects on early embryonic development in porcine embryos and that asiatic acid may be useful for improving the in vitro production of porcine embryos.