A herbal preparation made of plants from Nigeria and India may be the much sought after novel drug for premature ejaculation, low sperm count, erectile dysfunction, and indeed male sexual disorders. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.MALE infertility is on the rise. More men are firing blanks. But a herbal preparation may be the solution.A combination of plants extracts has been demonstrated to prevent premature ejaculation, and boost sperm quality, quantity and motility.The herbal combo marketed as Addyzoa is made of plants such as Emblica officinalis (Phyllanthus embilica), Withania somnifera, Tinospora cordifolia, Asparagus racemosus, Chlorophytum tuberosum, Mucuna pruriens, Sida cordifolia, and Ipomoea digitata.Ipomoea digitata, commonly called sweet potato, belongs to the plant family Convolvulaceae.Mucuna pruriens is commonly called cowhage or velvet bean. It is known as werepe in Yoruba and agbala or agboloko in Ibo. The velvet bean plant is notorious for the spiky hairs on the mature bean pods that are very irritating to the skin.Tinospora Cordifolia is a plant that belongs to the menispermaceae family. The common names of the plant include hearth leaves and moon seed. It is called epa ikun in Yoruba.Chroropphytum tuberosum belongs to Anthericaceae family. It is called albasar kwadi in Hausa.Asparagus racemosus belongs to the plant family Aspara-gaceae. The plant grows throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of India up to an altitude of 1500 metre.Withania somnifera belongs to the family Solanaceae. It is called burrwood, horse root, Winter cherry in English. It is called karama anta in Hausa.Sida cordifolia (bala, country mallow, heart-leaf sida or flannel weed) is a perennial sub-shrub of the mallow family Malvaceae.Phyllanthus emblica (syn. Emblica officinalis), the Indian gooseberry, or aamla', is a deciduous tree of the Phyllanthaceae family. It is known for its edible fruit of the same name.A clinical study on Addyzoa, produced by Charak pharmaceuticals India and marketed in Nigeria by Fidson Healthcare Plc, concluded that treatment with the drug is effective in improving the semen quality by increasing the sperm count and sperm motility. The results are comparable with that of Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) on semen parameters.The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of an antioxidant herbo-mineral formulation, Addyzoa in oligospermia in comparison with Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10).Oligospermia, also oligozoospermia, refers to semen with a low concentration of sperm and is a common finding in male infertility.Defects in sperms are associated with low sperm concentration (oligospermia), poor sperm motility (asthenospermia) or abnormal sperm morphology (teratospermia). These defects are collectively called as oligoasthenoteratospermia.Lead author of the study and consultant urologist and andrologist, Lilawati Hospital and Research Centre Mumbai, India, Dr. AjitVaze, wrote: 'A total of sixty patients, 30 in each group, were studied. Cap Addyzoa was administered in a dose of two capsules twice a day for three months and Cap Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) 30 mg, one capsule thrice a day. The main study outcomes were an increase in sperm count and improvement in motility and morphology of sperms.'In the Addyzoa group, an average increase of 2.74 million sperm was observed, whereas in the Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) group sperm count increased by 2.27 million. In both groups, the increase in motility was on average 1.5 to 2 times. Though the observed difference between the two groups is not statistically significant (p > 0.1), the 0.47 million difference appears to be clinically significant.'Meanwhile, recent research suggests that large proportion of infertile men have elevated levels of seminal reactive oxygen species (ROS). Various ROS like superoxide, hydroxyl, nitric oxide, peroxide, and peroxynitrile are generated in excess by immature and abnormal spermatozoa and by contaminating leukocytes associated with genitourinary tract inflammation. These ROS have been associated with oligoasthenoteratospermia. As spermatozoa membranes are rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), sperms are more susceptible to the damage caused by ROS by lipid peroxidation.Therefore, the role of anti-oxidants in the treatment of male infertility is becoming popular. In view of free radical damage to the sperms, anti-oxidant mechanisms have been shown to be important in the maintenance of sperm motility, the spermatogenesis and the ability of sperms to fertilise the ovum.According to the study, the ingredients of Addyzoa are all reputed anti-oxidants. These ingredients are used in a number of anti-ageing, rejuvenating and virilizing formulations.Various studies suggest that these medicinal plants might be potent and novel therapeutic agents for scavenging of Nitric Oxide (NO) and the regulation of pathological conditions caused by excessive generation of NO and its oxidation product, peroxynitrite.The individual constituent herbs in Addyzoa have been extensively studied for their spermatogenic and antioxidant effects. Several studies have corroborated the effectiveness of Addyzoa ingredients as antioxidants and sperm booster.A study published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology concluded that the methanolic extract of Ipomoea digitata is a significant source of natural antioxidant, which might be helpful in preventing the progress of various oxidative stresses.Indian researchers have shown that Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is a critical part in the development and regulation of a number of the body's systems, such as the reproductive and immune systems.According to the study published in Fertility and Sterility, decreased sperm count and motility were seen in infertile subjects. The researchers wrote: 'Serum Testosterone and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) levels, as well as, seminal plasma and blood levels of dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline were also decreased in all groups of infertile men. LH is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that helps the egg mature and develop.The seminal plasma mediates the chemical function of the ejaculate. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Release of adrenaline and noradrenaline is triggered by nervous stimulation in response to physical or mental stress.This was accompanied by significantly increased serum Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Prolactin (PRL) levels in oligozoospermic subjects.FSH is essential to fertility and the ability to get pregnant. PRL is peptide hormone primrily associated with lactation.'Treatment with M. pruriens significantly improved testosterone (T), LH, dopamine,adrenaline, and noradrenaline levels in infertile men and reduced levels of FSH and PRL. Sperm count and motility were significantly recovered in infertile men after treatment. Treatment with M. pruriens regulates steroidogenesis (production of steroids by the adrenal glands) and improves semen quality in infertile men.'A study published in the International Journal of Ayurveda Research found that the roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum can be useful in the treatment of certain forms of sexual inadequacies, such as premature ejaculation and oligospermia.Another study found that Asparagus racemosus and Mucuna pruriens are definitely comparable to the available modern medical lines of treatment. 'Asparagus racemosus may help in regeneration of seminiferous tubule population and thus help in increase of spermatogenesis.'Prof. Tolu Odugbemi of Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Lagos, Nigeria, in a book entitled A textbook of medicinal plants from Nigeria (2008) reported that Tinospra cordifolia (epa ikun) is used for the treatment of diuretic, fever, digestion disorder, fractured bones, cholagogues, emmenagogue and hepatic stimulant.According to a study published Fertility and Sterility, Withania somnifera improves semen quality by regulating reproductive hormone levels and oxidative stress in seminal plasma of infertile males.The researchers concluded: 'The treatment with W. somnifera effectively reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by decreased levels of various oxidants and improved level of diverse antioxidants. Moreover, the levels of T, LH, FSH and PRL, good indicators of semen quality, were also reversed in infertile subjects after treatment with the herbal preparation.
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