The Efficacy and Safety of GF101 and Its Antioxidant Effect on In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes: A Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority, Randomized, Controlled Trial with Coenzyme Q10

Abstract

(1) Background: Oxidative stress adversely affects fertility by impairing oocyte fertilization potential, primarily due to meiotic segregation errors and cohesion loss. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are prominent antioxidants known to mitigate oxidative damage. (2) Methods: This study recruited 86 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) at a single center for a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, active-comparator-controlled trial. Participants were allocated into two groups: one receiving CoQ10 as an antioxidant (the CoQ10 group) and the other receiving GF Bacillus antioxidative enzyme SOD (the GF101 group). The primary endpoints were changes in serum oxidative markers (SOD and catalase) and IVF outcomes, including clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth rates. Follicular fluid (FF) SOD and catalase concentrations on the day of retrieval, the metaphase II (MII) oocyte rate, the fertilization rate, and lipid profiles were measured. (3) Results: Initially, 86 patients were enrolled, with 65 completing the protocol (30 in the GF101 group and 34 in the CoQ10 group). There were no significant differences between the GF101 and CoQ10 groups in serum SOD (p = 0.626) and catalase levels (p = 0.061) over 12 weeks. However, within the GF101 group, a significant increase in serum catalase from baseline to 12 weeks was observed (p = 0.004). The non-inferiority analysis for IVF outcomes indicated risk differences in the clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, and miscarriage rate of −6.27% (95% CI: −30.77% to 18.22%), −1.18% (95% CI: −25.28% to 22.93%), and −13.49% (95% CI: −41.14% to 14.15%), respectively, demonstrating non-inferiority for the GF101 group. Furthermore, the GF101 group experienced significant reductions in total cholesterol (p = 0.006) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (p = 0.009) in intra-group comparisons, with both groups exhibiting comparable safe profiles. (4) Conclusions: GF101 may be non-inferior to CoQ10 in treating infertility in women and potentially offers additional benefits for women with dyslipidemia.

Keywords

• antioxidant
• coenzyme Q10
• superoxide dismutase
• in vitro fertilization
• GF101