Background: Asthenozoospermia is one of the most prevalent causes of male infertility, significantly affecting all types of sperm disorders. Although cryopreservation is an indispensable part of assisted reproductive centers, it decreases sperm quality. Adding an antioxidant to the cryopreservation medium could effectively mitigate these adverse effects. Lycopene, a red ca- rotenoid and powerful antioxidant, has many positive effects on sperm parameters. This investigation studied the impact of lycopene supplementation on sperm parameters during the cry- opreservation of semen samples from asthenozoospermic men. Materials and Methods: Semen samples were collected from 30 asthenozoospermic men. Each sample was then divided into three groups: control (fresh), freeze (treated with cryoprotect- ant alone), and Freeze + Lycopene (treated with cryoprotectant and 5 µmol/L lycopene). The samples in the freezing groups were cryopreserved using a human sperm freezing medium and a rapid freezing method. For each sample, sperm motility was assessed according to World Health Organization (WHO) crite- ria using light microscopy. Viability was evaluated using eosin- nigrosin staining, and sperm morphology was examined using the Diff-Quick kit. Data were statistically analyzed using the Repeated Measures Analysis method Results: Sperm motility, viability, and normal morphology significantly decreased in the Freeze group compared to the Control group (P<0.05). However, in the Freeze + Lycopene group, a significant increase in these parameters was observed compared to the Freeze group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on our results we concluded that lycopene reduces the adverse effects of cryopreservation on sperm qual- ity in asthenozoospermic men.
