The female reproductive system is more vulnerable to ageing, and advanced maternal age affects embryo development. Pre-implanted embryos grown in the lab also exhibit ageing like characteristics due to in vitro conditions. We employed cycloastragenol, a naturally occurring substance with reported anti-aging and healing properties, in embryo growth media. Cycloastragenol greatly increased telomerase expression levels, enhanced embryo quality, and increased the embryo’s ability for implantation. We suggest that cycloastragenol might constitute a valuable addition to media used for oocyte maturation and embryo development.

Hypoxia, oxidative stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway are important modulators of placental development. Our findings demonstrated that placental expression of redox and UPR mediators in rats is influenced by gestational age, with higher expression in periods of higher hypoxia and oxidative DNA damage. This study provides for the first time data on the physiological modulation of redox and UPR mediators during placentation in rats.