Herbal cocktail better than Viagra in humans, say researchers
German doctors have shown that a herbal mix produced better results in humans than Viagra. Though the Berlin's Charitˇ hospital downplays this organic Viagra claim, CHUKWUMA MUANYA examines the possibilities.
RESULT of clinical trials on an all-natural treatment for impotence has shown brighter prospects than Viagra, the drug used to treat Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). ED or impotence, refers to the persistent or recurrent inability to achieve or maintain an erection.
German doctors reported last month that in clinical trials, 50 men had much better sex after taking the herbal mixture and generally felt better.
The treatment is a cocktail of herbal products, including a herb named Tribulus terrestris, which is credited with being extremely potent and is already used in a variety of alternative medicines, as well as Maca (Lepidium meyenii), a root vegetable found in the Andes and grape juice extract.
The Andes are the world's longest exposed mountain range. The Andes mountains extend over seven countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad, and Venezuela, some of which are known as Andean states.
Tribulus terrestris is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae. It is commonly called devil's thorn, puncture vine, caltrop, yellow vine and goat head. It is a common herb in Nigeria.
To the French, it is croix de Malte and abrolhos in Portuguese. In Nigeria, it is dareisa in Arabic-Shuwa, tsaiji in Fula-Fulfulde, hana taakama in Hausa (prevents swagger, in allusion to its thorns piercing the feet-a common expression) or tsaida (to stop because if a thorn pierces the foot one must stop to extract it), kaije in Kanuri, tedo by the Koma people of Adamawa State and da ogun daguro in Yoruba.
Maca is botanically called Lepidium meyenii. It is also commonly called Peruvian ginseng, maka, mace, maca-maca, maino, ayak chichira, ayuk willku, pepperweed.
Maca is a hardy perennial plant cultivated high in the Andes Mountains, at altitudes from 8,000 to 14,500 feet. The part used is the tuberous root, which looks likes a large radish (up to eight centimetre in diameter) which is usually off-white to yellow in colour.
Grape juice is a juice obtained from crushing grapes. The juice is often fermented and made into wine, brandy or vinegar. In the wine industry grape juice, which contains seven-23 per cent of pulp, skins, stems and seeds, is often referred to as "must". Grape juice can also be sweetened and preserved as an alcoholic drink beverage.
Grapes are native of the Mediterranean region, but are now grown in the tropics. Grapes are now grown and harvested in large quantities in the far northern states and neighbouring Benin Republic and Niger Republic. They are sold on the streets of Lagos, especially around Apapa.
Before now, the ingredients have been suspected to increase testosterone and improve blood flow. The clinical trials conducted by German doctors showed that the 50 men experienced better sex and had a higher libido than the control group taking Viagra.
According to reports from German daily newspaper Bild, the remedy, which has been named Plantagar, is due to hit the shelves in 2010.
The researchers said: "Further trials are planned to take place later in the year. The very fact that clinical trials are taking place at all is extremely good news, as there have been grave concerns raised about herbal products that claim all kinds of medicinal benefits, from an increased sex drive to weight loss, but have not been tested and frequently do not work."
The doctors from Charite hospital in Berlin are hopeful about the future potential of the herbal alternative. Olaf Shroeder, who led the clinical trials, said in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily: "In clinical trials, 50 men had much better sex afterwards, more fun in bed and just generally felt better about themselves."
"Their libido was even higher than the control group taking Viagra," he said.
The researchers, however, reported that there is the possibility that the treatment may have side effects, as two men said they experienced diarrhoea. "Two of the subjects had bad diarrhoea," the Berliner Kurier quoted Schroeder as adding.
However, Berlin's Charitˇ Hospital told The Local (German News in English) it has distanced itself from a medical student, Shroeder, who claimed earlier in the week that one of its institutes had developed an organic alternative to Viagra.
Shroeder, who also works as a lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry, had said that Charitˇ's Institute for Transfusion Medicine had created a male potency drug called Plantagrar from plant extracts.
A hospital spokeswoman confirmed to The Local that legal action against Shroeder has not been ruled out.
After the drug announcement created a media frenzy earlier in the week, Kerstin Endele from the hospital's press office was forced to issue a statement on Plantagrar.
"Using a product name in connection with the research does not correspond to the academic standards of the Charitˇ," she said, adding that Shroeder was not authorised to make statements on behalf of the hospital.
Shroeder caused a stir with his claim to have found a new sexual wonder drug.
"The libido of the men who took the plant-based potency treatment was higher than the libido of the men in the control group who took Viagra," he said, adding that fifty men reported more sexual desire, more fun in bed and increased self-confidence after the trial period in 2007 and 2008.
He said the plant-based "dietary supplement" - not classified as a pharmaceutical because all of its ingredients are already on the market - was made from a mixture of plants that raise the level of the male sex hormone testosterone and improve blood circulation.
If Shroeder is not shut down by legal action from Charitˇ, he said further trials would examine whether long-term use reduces side effects.
Until now, sexual dysfunction, that is the repeated inability to achieve normal sexual intercourse, which include various forms like premature ejaculation, retrograded, retarded or inhibited ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, arousal difficulties (reduced libido), compulsive sexual behaviour, orgasmic disorder and failure of detumescence (reduction of a swelling, especially the restoration of a swollen organ or part to normal size); has been managed by the use of aphrodisiacs.
An aphrodisiac can therefore be described as any substance that enhances sex drive and/ or sexual pleasure. Aphrodisiac can also be viewed as any food, drug, scent or device that can arouse or increase sexual drive or libido.
A review: "Male Sexual Dysfunction and Methods used in Assessing
Medicinal Plants with Aphrodisiac Potentials" by Yakubu, M. T., Akanji, M. A and Oladiji, A. T of Medicinal Plants Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, indicated that several plants like Terminalia catappa seeds (almond fruit), Syzygium aromaticum flower bud (Clove), Fadogia agrestis stem (Black aphrodisiac) have been found to have aphrodisiac activities in male rats.
The researchers in the study published in Pharmacognosy Reviews said the increasing incidence of male sexual dysfunction is necessitating more and rapid search into plants with aphrodisiac potentials.
An advocate of natural medicine and a Consultant Homeopath at the Global Foundation for Integrative Medicine in Santa Fe New Mexico, United States, Prof. Osmond Ifeanyi Onyeka, told The Guardian that the concept of herbs as vasodilators is not new, it has been known for thousands of years. Onyeka said: "Herbs like Yohimbe, Mucuna pruriens, Muira puama and Lepidium meyenii have long been safely used as aphrodisiacs without the dangerous side effects inherent in all drugs.
"These Herbs can be very effectively formulated by combining them with other dietary/nutritional supplements which help enhance their effect. The use of B-Complex vitamins and Vitamin B3 (niacin) in particular at therapeutic dose levels of 50 to 200 mg acts as a dilator of blood vessels like Viagra. Organic Vitamin C (not ascorbic acid), is also known to have a stimulating effect on the pituitary gland, which is responsible for releasing the Luteinizing Hormone (LH). This increases testosterone levels which in turn result in helping alleviate the symptoms of erectile dysfunction."
Tribulus terrestris is a plant that grows in many tropical and moderate areas of the world. Many different cultures have used it for a number of conditions. For example, the Greeks used Tribulus terrestris as a diuretic and a mood-enhancer. It has been used for centuries by the Chinese to calm the liver, treat headaches, dizziness, and premature ejaculation.
Maca has a low-growing, mat-like stem system, which can go unnoticed in a farmer's field. Its scalloped leaves lie close to the ground and it produces small, self-fertile, off-white flowers typical of the mustard family to which it belongs.
Native Peruvians traditionally have utilized Maca since pre-Incan times for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. It is an important staple in the diets of these people, as it has the highest nutritional value of any food crop grown there. It is rich in sugars, protein, starches, and essential nutrients (especially iodine and iron). The tuber or root is consumed fresh or dried.
The fresh roots are considered a treat and are baked or roasted in ashes (in the same manner as sweet potatoes). The dried roots are stored and, later, boiled in water or milk to make a porridge. They also are made into a popular sweet, fragrant, fermented drink called Maca chicha. In Peru even maca jam, pudding, and sodas are popular. The tuberous roots have a tangy, sweet taste and an aroma similar to that of butterscotch.
This energizing plant is also referred to as Peruvian ginseng (although Maca is not in the same family as ginseng). Maca has been used for centuries in the Andes to enhance fertility in humans and animals.
In Peruvian herbal medicine today, Maca is reported to be used as an immuno-stimulant; for anemia, tuberculosis, menstrual disorders, menopause symptoms, stomach cancer, sterility (and other reproductive and sexual disorders); and to enhance memory.
Maca has been growing in world popularity over the last several years due to several large marketing campaigns touting its energizing, fertility enhancement, hormonal balancing, aphrodisiac, and, especially, enhanced sexual performance properties.
Other (anecdotal) herbal medicine uses include increasing energy, stamina, and endurance in athletes, promoting mental clarity, treating male impotence, and helping with menstrual irregularities, female hormonal imbalances, menopause, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Until now, grape juice was known for its heart health benefits. There is evidence that drinking red wine may reduce the risk of heart disease. This benefit is most likely due to a substance called resveratrol found in the skin and seeds of grapes - especially dark red and purple grapes. Resveratrol is also found in grape juice - especially juice made from the dark purple Concord grapes.
Recent studies have suggested that red and purple grape juices may provide the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine, including: Reducing the risk of blood clots; Reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol; Preventing damage to blood vessels in your heart; and Helping maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Both red wine and grape juice also contain antioxidants called flavonoids, which have been shown to increase your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol and lower your risk of clogged arteries (atherosclerosis), and may help lower blood pressure.
These findings on grape juice are good news for people who want the cardiovascular benefits of red wine without the alcohol.
Previous studies by Nigerian researchers showed how extracts of Tribulus terrestris increase the testosterone (male sex hormone) level of the blood. They suggested that the aqueous extracts may thus be used to modify impaired sexual functions in humans due to their saponin components.
Saponins have been implicated as possible bioactive agent responsible for the aphrodisiac effect in Tribulus terrestris. It has been documented previously that sexual behaviour and erection are dependent on an androgen (male sex hormone like testosterone) that may be acting both centrally and peripherally. Testosterone supplementation has previously been shown to improve sexual function and libido, in addition to the intensity of orgasm and ejaculation, which might also be expected to improve.
Previous studies have also implicated the saponin component of plants in enhancing aphrodisiac properties due to its androgen increasing property. The study suggests that the saponin present in all the plant extracts might have assisted in stimulating an increase in the body natural endogenous testosterone levels by raising the level of LH. This LH released normally by the pituitary gland helps to maintain testosterone levels, as LH increases, so does the testosterone. The increase in testosterone seemed to have translated into male sexual competence claimed by users of these herbal preparations.
A saponin, protodioscin, derived from Tribulus terrestris has been clinically tested extensively, and is found to improve sexual drive and enhance erection in men. Furthermore, an earlier study suggests that the aphrodisiac action may be mediated through a change in the blood testosterone level.
Tribulus terrestris has a long history of traditional medical use in China, India, and Greece. In ancient times it was recommended as a treatment to promote female fertility and support a healthy libido in both men and women.
Recent studies performed in Bulgaria are the most current evidence regarding Tribulus. According to this research, Tribulus increases levels of various hormones including testosterone, DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone- is the most abundant androgen, male steroid hormone, secreted by the adrenal glands) and estrogen, and for this reason supports sexual function.
The study by Adimoelja A. titled "Phytochemicals and the breakthrough of traditional herbs in the management of sexual dysfunctions" was published in the International Journal of Andrology.
A study by H. Usman, F.I. Abdulrahman, and A.A. Ladan of the Department of Chemistry, University of Maiduguri, supports the traditional use of Tribulis terrestris as a remedy for stomach ache and urinary tract infections.
According to the study published in Research Journal of Biological Sciences, the methanolic leaf extract of Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae) growing in Nigeria was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and in vitro antimicrobial tests.
The study is titled "Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae) Growing in Nigeria."
The phytochemical tests was conducted using standard methods of analyses and the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins and cardiac glycosides.
The antimicrobial activity of the plant extract was assayed using the agar plate disc diffusion and nutrient broth dilution techniques. Test micro-organisms were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans; all the organisms were laboratory isolates.
The extract inhibited all the test organisms at various concentrations. It showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 3.125 mg mL1 against Salmonella typhi while againstEscherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans was 6.250 mg mL1.
The minimal bactericidal concentration against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans was found to be 1.563 mg mL1 while against Salmonella typhi was 3.125 mg mL1.
The researchers wrote: "This study laid credence to the use of this plant as a remedy for stomachic and urinary tract infections in folk medicine the world over, whose causative agents are some of the organisms used in this study."
Researchers have also studied the effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on serum reproductive hormone levels in adult healthy men.
The study was published in the Journal of Endocrinology. The researchers include: Gonzales G. F.; Cardova A.; Vega K.; Chung A.; Villena A.; and Goaez C. of the Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, and Department of Biological and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Philosophy, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
This study was a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, parallel trial in which active treatment with different doses of Maca was compared with a placebo. The study aimed to test the hypothesis that Maca has no effect on serum reproductive hormone levels in apparently healthy men when administered in doses used for aphrodisiac and/or fertility-enhancing properties.
Men aged between 21 and 56 Years received 1500 mg or 3000 mg Maca. Serum levels of luteinising hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone and 17-beta estradiol were measured before and at two, four, eight and 12 weeks of treatment with placebo or Maca (1.5 g or 3.0 g per day).
Data showed that compared with placebo Maca had no effect on any of the hormones studied nor did the hormones show any changes over time. Multiple regression analysis showed that serum testosterone levels were not affected by treatment with Maca at any of the times studied (P, not significant). In conclusion, treatment with Maca does not affect serum reproductive hormone levels.
Phytochemical analysis of Maca indicates that the nutritional value of dried maca root is high, resembling those of cereal grains such as maize, rice, and wheat. It contains 60-75 per cent carbohydrates, 10-14 per cent protein, 8.5 per cent fiber, and 2.2 per cent lipids. The protein content of maca exists mainly in the form of polypeptides and amino acids (including significant amounts of arginine, serine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and threonine). It also has about 250 mg of calcium, 2 g of potassium, and 15 mg of iron in 100 g of dried root-and important amounts of fatty acids (including linolenic, palmitic, and oleic acids). Maca contains sterols (about 0.05% to 0.1%) and other vitamins and minerals. In addition to its rich supply of essential nutrients, maca contains alkaloids, tannins, and saponins.
A chemical analysis conducted in 1981 showed the presence of biologically active aromatic isothiocyanates (a common chemical found in the mustard family of plants and shown to be a wood preservative and insecticide).
Chemical research shows maca root contains a chemical called p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which has reputed aphrodisiac properties. At least four alkaloids are also present but have not yet been quantified. Fresh maca root contains about 1 per cent glucosinolates-plant chemicals found in many plants in the family Brassicaceae (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables). While no novel glucosinolates have been reported in maca yet, several of the chemicals found in this group of known plant chemicals are documented to be cancer-preventive.
Maca's main plant chemicals include: alkaloids, amino acids, beta-ecdysone, calcium, carbohydrates, fatty acids, glucosinolates, iron, magnesium, p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, phosphorus, potassium, protein, saponins, sitosterols, stigmasterol, tannins, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc.
Maca's fertility-enhancing properties were reported as early as 1961, when researchers discovered that it increased fertility in rats. Marketing and resulting sales of maca for sexual function has been fueled by clinical research since. The majority of this research, however, has been performed or funded by two main marketers of maca products in the U.S.
The first study reporting maca's effect on sexual function was published in 2000 (and performed by a marketer of maca) and described the beneficial effects of using maca in impotent mice and rats. Another, published a year later, indicated similar effects in male rats. Studies in 2001 reported a beneficial effect on male sperm production in rats and improvement of sperm count and motility in nine healthy adult men.
In 2002 a study reported improved sexual performance in inexperienced male rats; another "self-perception on sexual desire" test in healthy men reported aphrodisiac or libido enhancement effects. In several of the rat and mice studies, the animals were administered up to 4 g per kg of body weight of a "concentrated maca extract" to achieve the reported results. This would (approximately) equate to a 300 g dose for an average man. None of these studies, however, indicated a possible mechanism of action - or related these observed effects to constituents or chemicals contained in maca root.
