Abstract
BackgroundMucuna pruriens, Tribulus terrestris and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) are widely known as antioxidant effective herbals and have been reported to possess aphrodisiac activities in traditional usages. In this study, we determined the effects of these herbals on sexual functions, serum biochemical parameters, oxidative stress and levels of NF-κB, Nrf2, and HO-1 in reproductive tissues.MethodsThirty-five male rats were divided into five groups: the control group, sildenafil-treated group (5 mg/kg/d), Mucuna, Tribulus and Ashwagandha groups. The extract groups were treated orally either with Mucuna, Tribulus or Ashwagandha (300 mg/kg b.w.) for 8 weeks.ResultsAll of the extracts were found to be significantly effective in sexual functioning and antioxidant capacity and Tribulus showed the highest effectiveness. Serum testosterone levels significantly increased in Tribulus and Ashwagandha groups in comparison to control group. Tribulus was able to reduce the levels of NF-κB and increase the levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 to a much greater extent than Mucuna and Ashwagandha.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate for the first time that Mucuna, Tribulus and Ashwagandha supplementation improves sexual function in male rats via activating Nrf2/ HO-1 pathway while inhibiting the NF-κB levels. Moreover, Tribulus terrestris extract was found to be more bioavailable from Ashwagandha extract followed by Mucuna extract.Graphical abstractSchematic representation of the mode of action of some aphrodisiac herbal extracts to improve sexual functions
Highlights
Mucuna pruriens, Tribulus terrestris and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) are widely known as antioxidant effective herbals and have been reported to possess aphrodisiac activities in traditional usages
Based on the current knowledge, the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the Tribulus terrestris, Mucuna pruriens and Ashwagandha on levels of serum biochemical parameters, hormones, MDA and the expression of Nrf2 and Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in reproductive tissues of male rats
When we examined the effects of extracts on serum hormones and MDA (Table 6), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) hormone levels showed no significance (P > 0.05) but serum testosterone levels were 1.84, 1.76 and 1.58 fold higher than the normal control group in Sildenafil, Tribulus and Ashwagandha groups respectively (P < 0.0001)
Summary
Tribulus terrestris and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) are widely known as antioxidant effective herbals and have been reported to possess aphrodisiac activities in traditional usages. Metabolic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is required for male sexual function, whilst high levels of ROS may be the reason for low sperm quality and male infertility [4]. Different varieties of plants have been used as sexual stimulants in traditional medicine including Mucuna pruriens, Tribulus terrestris, and Ashwagandha [7,8,9]. Mucuna pruriens (commonly known as Cowitch), a leguminous plant grown in Africa, South America, and South Asia is identified as an herbal medicine for improving the antioxidant, antidiabetic, antidiabetes-induced erectile dysfunction, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, aphrodisiac, anticataleptic and antiepileptic, antibacterial, cardioprotective properties [10,11,12,13]. Ashwagandha has the capacity to improve blood circulation in the body, naturally enhance sperm quality [8, 23]
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