
<p>An aphrodisiac is defined as any food or drug that
arouses the sexual instinct, induces veneral desire and increases pleasure and
performance. A lot of natural substances have historically been known as
aphrodisiacs in Africa and Europe, like yohimbine and the mandrake plant, as
well as ground rhinoceros horn in the Chinese culture and “Spanish fly” which
is actually toxic.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref2">2</a>,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref3">3</a>] </p>


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<p>Even in today&#8217;s culture, there are certain foods that are used as aphrodisiacs, including strawberries and raw oysters. Chocolate, coffee, and honey are also believed to have aphrodisiac potential. Although these natural items are claimed as aphrodisiacs, there is no or little scientific confirmation supporting those assertions.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CAUSES OF IMPOTENCE</strong></h2>



<p>Among the most commonly recognized conditions associated are high blood pressure, lipid problems (cholesterol, triglycerides), diabetes, and cigarette smoking.[<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="8 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref8" target="_blank">8</a>,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="9 (opens in a new tab)">9</a>] </p>



<p>Sexual dysfunction is a serious medical and social symptom that occurs in 10-52% of men and 25-63% of women. ED, the main reason of male impotence, is considered as one of the most important public health problems, since it affects a great percentage of men. ED is defined as the consistent inability to obtain or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual relations. An estimated 20-30 million men suffer from some degree of sexual dysfunction.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="7 (opens in a new tab)">7</a>] It occurs commonly in middle-aged and older men. Impotence occurs in 50% of men with diabetes mellitus. Atherosclerosis is the cause of approximately 40% of ED in men older than 50 years.</p>



<p>Sexual dysfunction is also caused by various factors
such as psychological disorders like anxiety, depression, stress, fear of sex,
neurological disorders, stroke, cerebral trauma and Parkinson&#8217;s disease, penile
diseases like phinosis, peyroniesetc. </p>



<p>Other organic causes include chronic renal failure,
hepatic failure, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, sleep apnea and
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. </p>



<p>Chronic alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking also adversely affect sexual potency. Decrease in hormone level with age, systemic diseases like cancer also influences sexual ability. ED is also associated with some therapeutic agents like antihypertensives, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and drugs for diabetes mellitus.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref10">1</a><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="0 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref10" target="_blank">0</a>,<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref11" target="_blank">11</a>,<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref12" target="_blank">12</a>]</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HERBAL APHRODISIACS</strong></h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Chlorophytum borivilianum</strong></h2>



<p>Tuberous roots of ;<em>Chlorophytum borivilianum</em> ;(CB)
(commonly known as safed musli) (family Liliaceae) possess immunomodulatory and
adaptogenic properties and are used to cure impotency, sterility, and enhance
male potency. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mondia whitei</strong></h2>



<p><em>Mondia whitei</em> ;is from the Periplocaceae family has been used by many traditional
medicine practitioners for the management of ED. It is used to increase libido
and also for the management of low sperm count. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Tribulus terrestris</strong></h2>



<p><em>Tribulus terrestris</em> ;(TT) is a flowering plant belongs to the family Zygophyllaceae,
native to warm temperate and tropical regions. Administration of TT to humans
and animals improves libido and spermatogenesis.</p>



<p>It is also found to increase the levels of testosterone, leutinizing hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.[<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref36" target="_blank">36</a>,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref37" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">37</a>] </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Crocus sativus</strong></h2>



<p><em>Crocus sativus</em> ;L., commonly known as <strong>saffron</strong>,
is a perennial stem less herb belongs to the family Iridaceae and is widely
cultivated in Iran and other countries, including India and Greece. In
traditional medicine, saffron is recommended as an aphrodisiac agent.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Myristica fragrans</strong></h2>



<p>The dried kernel of broadly ovoid seeds of ;<em>Myristica
fragrans</em> ;Houtt. (Nutmeg) of the family Myristicaceae has been
mentioned in Unani medicine to be of value in the management of male sexual
disorders.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Phoenix dactylifera</strong></h2>



<p><em>Phoenix dactylifera</em> ;(date palm) of the family Palmae is a native to North Africa has been
extensively cultivated in Arabia and Persian Gulf. The date palm pollen (DPP)
is used in the traditional medicine for male infertility. </p>



<p>They observed that the consumption of DPP suspensions
improved the sperm count, motility, morphology, and DNA quality with a
concomitant increase in the weights of testis and epididymis. The date palm
contains estradiol and flavonoid components that have positive effects on the
sperm quality.</p>



<p>From the study, it was concluded that DPP seems to cure male infertility by improving the quality of sperm parameters.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">44</a>]</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lepidium meyenii</strong></h2>



<p><em>Lepidium meyenii</em> ;(Maca) belongs to the family Cruciferae is a Peruvian hypocotyl that
grows exclusively between 4000 m and 4500 m in the central Andes. Maca is
traditionally employed in the Andean region for its supposed aphrodisiac and/or
fertilityenhancing properties. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Kaempferia parviflora</strong></h2>



<p><em>Kaempferia parviflora</em> ;belongs to the family Zingiberaceae is a native plant of Southeast
Asia, is traditionally used to enhance male sexual function. However, only few
scientific data in support of this anecdote have been reported. The results
showed that all extracts had virtually no effect on the reproductive organ
weights even after 5 weeks. However, administration of the alcohol extract
significantly decreased mount and ejaculatory latencies when compared with the
control. </p>



<p>In a separate study, an acute effect of alcohol extract of ;<em>K. parviflora</em> ;on blood flow to the testis was also investigated. The results indicated that alcohol extract had an aphrodisiac activity probably via a marked increase in blood flow to the testis.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref49" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">49</a>]</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Eurycoma longifolia</strong></h2>



<p><em>Eurycoma longifolia</em> ;(commonly called tongkat ali or pasak bumi) is a flowering plant in
the family Simaroubaceae, native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and to a lesser
extent, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. It has gained notoriety as a symbol of
man&#8217;s ego and strength by the Malaysian men because it increases male virility
and sexual prowess during sexual activities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Satureja khuzestanica</strong></h2>



<p><em>Satureja khuzestanica</em> ;Jamzad belongs to the family Lamiaceae is an endemic plant that is widely distributed in the Southern part of Iran. Sulmaz ;<em>et al</em>. studied the effect of ;<em>Satureja khuzestanica</em> ;essential oil (SKEO) in male rat fertility. SKEO was administered orally at doses of 75, 150, and 225 mg/kg/day for 45 days through drinking water. Treated and control rats were mated with female on day 45 of treatment. SKEO significantly improved all the parameters evaluated such as potency, fecundity, fertility index, and litter size.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref53" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">53</a>]</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Panax ginseng</strong></h2>



<p>For many years, ;<em>Panax ginseng</em> ;belonging
to family Aralaceae has enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest aphrodisiacs
in the world. The word ;<em>Panax</em>, in fact, means “all-healing” in Greek
and is thus a reference to the roots supposed revitalizing properties for the
whole human-body. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pausinystalia yohimbe</strong></h2>



<p><em>Pausinystalia yohimbe</em> ;of the family Rubiaceae is an evergreen tree native to West Africa,
also present in Asia. It is the only herb listed in the Physician&#8217;s index
reference for sexual function. Yohimbe has been widely used for more than 75
years as an accepted treatment for male ED. </p>



<p>The US FDA approved yohimbe as the first plant-derived
drug for treating impotency in late 1980s and was dubbed the “herbal viagra” in
the February 1999 edition of Environmental Nutrition In Europe. </p>



<p>Yohimbe is believed to be effective in dealing with
ED, mainly due to its ability to stimulate blood flow by dilating blood
vessels. The increase in the flow of blood to the penis helps in bringing about
erections. Another manner in which Yohimbe relates to impotence is that it
increases the body&#8217;s production of norepinephrone; which is essential in the
formation of erections. </p>



<p>Studies have shown that this herb can restore potency
even to diabetic and heart patients that were suffering from impotency due
mainly to their diseases. </p>



<p>Yohimbe is also believed to act as a stimulant for the
pelvic nerve ganglia and also to boost adrenaline supply to nerve endings. That
leads to an increase in sexual sensation and stamina. In men without ED,
Yohimbe in some cases appears to increase sexual vigor and prolong erections.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Fadogia agrestis</strong></h2>



<p><em>Fadogia agrestis</em> ;belongs to the family, Rubiaceae possess significant aphrodisiac
potential. Yakubu ;<em>et al</em>. evaluated the aphrodisiac potential of the
aqueous extract of ;<em>F. agrestis</em> ;in Male rats. </p>



<p>The aqueous extract of ;<em>F. agrestis</em> ;stem
increased the blood testosterone concentrations and this may be the mechanism
responsible for its aphrodisiac effects and various masculine behaviors. It may
be used to modify impaired sexual functions in animals, especially those
arising from hypotestosteronemia.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Montanoa tomentosa</strong></h2>



<p><em>Montanoa tomentosa</em> ;of the family Asteraceae has an extensive ethnomedical history of use
as a traditional remedy for sexual impairment. Results showed that acute oral
administration of crude extracts of ;<em>M. tomentosa</em>facilitates
expression of sexual behavior in sexually active male rats, significantly
increases mounting behavior in genitally anesthetized animals and induces the
expression of sexual behavior in noncopulating males. </p>



<p>Present findings provided experimental evidence that the crude extract preparation of ;<em>M. tomentosa</em>, used as a traditional remedy, possesses aphrodisiac properties.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref59" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">59</a>]</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Terminalia catappa</strong></h2>



<p><em>Terminalia catappa</em> ;is a large tropical tree belongs to the family, Combretaceae a significant aphrodisiac potential. Ratnasooriya ;<em>et al</em>. observed that ;<em>T. catappa</em> ;seeds at dose of 1500 mg/kg or 3000 mg/kg, per oral for 7 days in rats had a marked improvement of aphrodisiac action, sexual vigor. In contrast, the higher dose (3 000 mg/kg, p.o.) reversibly inhibited all the parameters of sexual behavior other than mounting.[<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref61" target="_blank">61</a>,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref62" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">62</a>]</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Casimiroa edulis</strong></h2>



<p>The seed extract of ;<em>Casimiroa edulis</em> ;belongs
to the family Rutaceae is consumed in many parts of the world, including
Central America and Asia as an aphrodisiac. </p>



<p>This research, thus provide preliminary evidence that the aqueous seed extract of ;<em>C. edulis</em> ;possesses alphrodisiac activity and may be used as an alternative drug therapy to restore sexual functions probably via a neurogenic mode of action.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref63" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">63</a>]</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Turnera diffusa</strong></h2>



<p>In folk medicine, ;<em>Turnera diffusa</em> ;or
Damiana of the family Turneraceae is considered as an aphrodisiac.
Estrada ;<em>et al</em>. conducted a study to determine whether ;<em>T.
diffusa</em> ;recovers sexual behavior in sexually exhausted male rats and
to identify the main components in an aqueous extract. ;<em>T. diffusa</em> ;(80
mg/kg) significantly increased the percentage of males achieving one
ejaculatory series and resuming a second one. In addition, ;<em>T. diffusa</em> ;significantly
reduced the post-ejaculatory interval. </p>



<p>The results supported the use of ;<em>T. diffusa</em> ;as an aphrodisiac in traditional medicine and suggest possible therapeutic properties of ;<em>T. diffusa</em> ;on sexual dysfunction. The flavonoids present in active extract may participate in its pro-sexual effect, which is analogous to those produced by yohimbine, suggesting a shared mechanism of action.[<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/#ref64" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">64</a>] ;</p>



<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/table/T1/" target="_blank">Table 1</a> ;shows the list of plants having aphrodisiac potential. ;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Table 1</strong></h3>



<p>List of plants having aphrodisiac potential
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