Effects of Multivitamin/Mineral Supplementation on Trace Element Levels in Serum and Follicular Fluid of Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Mehmet Okan Özkaya & Mustafa Nazıroğlu & Cihan Barak & Murat Berkkanoglu Received: 25 October 2009 / Accepted: 1 February 2010 / Published online: 24 February 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 Abstract We investigated effects of multivitamin/mineral supplementation on element levels in serum and follicular fluid of women undergoing IVF. We used three groups in this study. The first group was used as an age-matched and nonpregnant control (n =13). Group 2(n =30) constituted the IVF group and women in the third group who were undergoing IVF also received a multivitamin/mineral tablet daily for 45 days. Follicular fluid and serum selenium and zinc levels and follicular fluid copper levels were lower in IVF patients than in controls although follicular fluid aluminum and iron levels were higher in IVF patients than in controls. However, follicular fluid and serum aluminum, copper, zinc and selenium levels, and serum magnesium levels were higher in the multivitamin/mineral group than in the IVF group although follicular fluid iron levels were lower in the multivitamin/mineral group than in the IVF group. In conclusion, we observed that copper, zinc, and selenium in serum and follicular fluid decreased in women undergoing IVF. Multivitamin/mineral supplementation in serum and follicular fluid of women undergoing IVF normalized the trace element levels. Keywords Zinc . Selenium . Copper . IVF . Human fertilization . Follicular fluid Biol Trace Elem Res (2011) 139:1–9 DOI 10.1007/s12011-010-8637-x M. O. Özkaya Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey M. Nazıroğlu (*) Department of Biophysics, Medical Faculty, Suleyman Demirel University, Morfoloji Binasi, Cunur, 32260 Isparta, Turkey e-mail: mnaziroglu@med.sdu.edu.tr C. Barak Department of Chemistry, Science Institute, Balıkesir, Turkey M. Berkkanoglu IVF Center of Antalya Private Hospital, Antalya, Turkey