HORMONAL BALANCE

The enteric pathogens and oxidative stress are known to generate intestinal inflammation, chronic gut ailments and oncogenesis. Modulation of the gut microbial peak populations through herbal agents, offers a promising therapeutic modality.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), an endocrine metabolic disorder of multiple etiologies is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with impaired carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from abnormal insulin production/action.

Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is a plant of the Brassicaceae family that grows between 4,000 and 4,500 metres above sea level (m.a.s.l.) in the Peruvian Central Andes, particularly in Junin and Pasco. Maca grows in these places in the range of temperatures from a maximum of 12°C to a minimum of 1.5°C. This range of temperatures occurs in the Central Andes because of its proximity to the equator.

Antioxidant effects of plants used in daily nutrition are investigated, their bioactive contents are analyzed and its mechanisms are revealed. Recently, bioactive compounds with antioxidant effects have been found in many plants traditionally used. These plants cross their local region, cultivated in many parts of the world, and take place in markets as various supplement products.

Lepidium meyeniiWalp. (Maca) belonging to the Brassicaceae is a perennial herbaceous plant native to South America, it grows under low temperature and high altitude varying between 3700 and 4450 m. Maca, as a food source, possesses high nutritive value and is rich in starches, proteins, minerals and sugars.

Maca is known to be rich in macamides. The objective of this study was to analyse macamide profiles of macas with different colours cultivated in Yunnan, China, and commercial Peru maca by ultra-highperformance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.

Maca (Lepidium meyenii), an annual or biennial plant of family of Brassicaceae, mainly grows in the Andes region of Peru where the altitude is between 3500 and 4500 m above sea level. This area is characterized by freezing temperature, intense sunlight, fierce winds, barren, androcky terrain.

Coccidiosis is an infectious disease by protozoa Eimeria and an important parasitic zoonotic disease. It induced severe losses of mortality, morbidity in the poultry industry. In addition, a lot of anti-coccidial medications to prevent Eimeria infection have revealed the decreased efficacy because some Eimeria species have developed resistance activity to anti-coccidials.

With the recognition that high levels of sustained stress are associated with the natural course of countless illnesses, effective anti-stress agents have gained importance. Improved endurance to particularly stressful periods is one of the medicinal claims for Marapuama (Ptychopetalum olacoides Bentham, PO). a popular Amazonian herbal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if PO possesses anti-stress properties.

The root of Eurycoma longifolia Jack, native to South East Asia, has long been used as a male aphrodisiac remedy to treat sexual disorders.

Maca (Lepidium meyenii), an Andean plant of the brassica (mustard) family has been used for centuries in the Andes as an adaptogenic plant to manage anemia, infertility and female hormone balance. The aim of this review was to assess the evidence for and against the effectiveness of the maca plant as a treatment for menopausal symptoms.

Apart from its claims for improvement of sexual functions in men, the puncturevine plant (Tribulus terrestris: TT) has long been considered as an energizer and vitalizer in the indigenous system of medicine. Sexual behavior and intracavernous pressure (ICP) measurements were taken in rats to scientifically validate the claim of TT [containing protodioscin (PTN)] as an aphrodisiac.

Hormonal effects of Tribulus terrestris (TT) were evaluated in primates, rabbit and rat to identify its usefulness in the management of erectile dysfunction (ED). TT extract \Vas administered intravenously, as a bolus dose or 7.5. 15 and 30 mg kg. in primates for acute study.

Tribulus terrestris has been used as an aphrodisiac. However, little is known about the effects and mechanism of action of T. terrestris on penile erection. Therefore, the effect of a T. terrestris extract and the mechanism of action of the extract on relaxation of the corpus cavernosum (CC) were investigated. The erectogenic effects of an oral preparation of the extract were also assessed.

Tribulus terrestris L (TT) is used in the Arabic folk medicine to treat various diseases. The aim of this article was to investigate the protective effects of TT in diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetes is known to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) level that subsequently contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes.

Tribulus terrestris (TT) has long been used in the traditional Chinese and Indian systems of medicine for the treatment of various ailments and is popularly claimed to improve sexual functions in man. Sexual behaviour and intracavernous pressure (ICP) were studied in both normal and castrated rats to further understand the role of TT containing protodioscin (PTN) as an aphrodisiac.

Antioxidant potential of Tribulus terrestris L. herbal preparations was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) di-ammonium salt (ABTS) free radicals, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation by ferric thiocyanate method (FTC).

Antifungal activity of natural products is being studied widely. Saponins are known to be antifungal and antibacterial.

In recent twenty years, the risk of opportunistic fungal infections has greatly increased in patients who are severely immunocompromised due to cancer chemotherapy, organ or bone marrow transplantation, and human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Traditional medicine has been practiced for many centuries by a substantial proportion of the population of Iraq. The interest in the study of medicinal plants as a source of pharmacologically active compounds has increased worldwide. It is recognized that in some developing countries, plants are the main medicinal source to treat infectious diseases.

Cognitive deficits are often observed in old humans, as well as in various neurological conditions. It has been previously proposed that memory retrieval in the elderly appears to be more impaired than acquisition or storage. Moreover, the first symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease include impairment of new information storage or retrieval.

Ptychopetalum olacoides (PO) roots are used by Amazonian peoples to prepare traditional remedies for treating various central nervous system conditions in which free radicals are likely to be implicated.

Aim: To observe the effect of the aqueous extract of hypocotyls of the plant Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on spermatogenic damage induced by the organophosphate insecticide malathion in mice.

Lepidium meyenii (Maca) grows exclusively between 4000 and 4500 m above sea level in the Peruvian central Andes. The hypocotyls of this plant are traditionally used in the Andean region for their supposed fertility-enhancing properties.

The aim of the present study is to determine the effect of acute and chronic oral administration of a purified extract from L. meyenii root on male rats sexual performances and spontaneous locomotion.

Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is a Peruvian hypocotyl that grows exclusively between 4000 and 4500 m in the central Andes. Maca is traditionally employed in the Andean region for its supposed aphrodisiac and/or fertility-enhancing properties.

Objective: To examine the estrogenic and androgenic activity of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) and its effect on the hormonal profile and symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Objectives: To determine the effect of oral administration of a purified lipidic extract from Lepidium meyenii (MacaPure M-01 and M-02) on the number of complete intromissions and mating in normal mice, and on the latent period of erection (LPE) in rats with erectile dysfunction.

Rats were treated with 0, 8, 16 and 24 mg/kg of lead acetate (LA) (i.p.) for 35 days with or without Maca. Maca was co-administrated orally from day 18 to day 35. The lengths of stages of the seminiferous epithelium were assessed by transillumination.

The use of natural remedies for the treatment of sexual disorders is under current investigation. For generations people of the rural community in Peru have used Lepidium meyenii Walpers (Maca), because of their belief that it improves fertility and sexual desire.

This study was a 12-week double blind placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel trial in which active treatment with different doses of Maca Gelatinizada was compared with placebo. The study aimed to demonstrate if effect of Maca on subjective report of sexual desire was because of effect on mood or serum testosterone levels.

A polysaccharide (MP21) was extracted and purified from Lepidium meyenii Walp. using DEAE-52 and SephacrylTM S-500 columns. Its physicochemical properties and macrophage immunomodulatory activity were investigated in vitro. T

The effects of two Peruvian folk medicines, Lepidium meyenii Walp and Jatropha macrantha, on mouse sex steroid hormones and embryo implantation were investigated. Progesterone levels increased significantly in mice that received L. meyenii Walp, while testosterone levels increased significantly in mice that received L. meyenii Walp as well as in those that received both L. meyenii Walp and J. macrantha.

Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is a Peruvian hypocotyl that grows exclusively between 4000 and 4500 m in the central Andes. Maca is traditionally employed in the Andean region for its supposed fertility-enhancing properties.

Objective: To investigate antiviral activity of maca to reduce viral load in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells infected with influenza type A and B viruses (Flu-A and Flu-B, respectively).

Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is a cultivated root belonging to the brassica family used in the Andean region for its supposed aphrodisiac properties. We carried out a double-blind clinical trial on 50 Caucasian men affected by mild erectile dysfunction (ED), randomised to treatment with Maca dry extract, 2400 mg, or placebo.

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant from the Andes of Peru. Maca is used as a food for its nutritional value and ethnomedicinal properties linked to fertility and vitality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Maca. For all experiments an aqueous extract of Maca was used.

Water-soluble polysaccharides were separated from maca (Lepidium meyenii) aqueous extract (MAE). The crude polysaccharides were deproteinized by Sevag method. During the preparation process of maca polysaccharides, amylase and glucoamylase effectively removed starch in maca polysaccharides.

This work focused on the effect of maca on lipid, anti-oxidative, and glucose parameters in hereditary hypertriglyceridemic (HHTg) rat. Maca (1%) was administred to rats as a part of a high-sucrose diet (HSD) for 2 weeks. Rosiglitazone (0.02%) was used as a positive control.

The genus Jatropha that belongs to tribe Joannesieae in the Euphorbiaceae family contains approximately 170 known species. The name Jatropha is derived from the Greek word ‘‘jatros’’ (doctor) and ‘‘trophe’’ (food), which implies its medicinal uses.

Various cancers and tumorous conditions were treated by healers. A total of 47 plant species belonging to 42 genera and 30 families were documented and identified as anti-cancer and anti-diabetic herbal remedies in Northern Peru, with 31 plants used for diabetes treatment and 17 species used for conditions identified by local healers as cancer.

Bacterial infections and inflammation are among the ailments treated by traditional healers. The World Health Organization has expressed high interest in traditional medicine, and it is important to demonstrate scientifically that remedies employed in folk medicine are indeed therapeutically active. In this communication, antibacterial assays for 165 plant species conducted under simple laboratory conditions in a private clinic in Trujillo, Peru has been reported.

In most countries, millions of people are relying on herbal medicines as remedy for numerous ailments. In South-East Asia, Eurycoma longifolia Jack, also known as ‘Malaysian ginseng’ or Tongkat ali, is used to combat stress and disease and to improve physical strength.

Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Simaroubaceae family), known locally as ‘Tongkat Ali’ by the ethnic population, is popularly taken as a traditional remedy to improve the male libido, sexual prowess and fertility. Presently, many tea, coffee and carbonated beverages, pre-mixed with the root extract are available commercially for the improvement of general health and labido.

Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Simaroubaceace), identified by its local name as Tongkat Ali, is commonly found along the hilly jungle slopes of Malaysia. Over the years, pharmacological evaluations of the various compounds isolated from this plant showed that it possessed antimalarial, cytotoxic, antiulcer, and antipyretic, properties.

The aim of this study is to provide evidence on the aphrodisiac property of Eurycoma Iongifolia Jack. An electric grid was used as an obstruction in the electrical copulation cage in order to determine how much an aversive stimulus the sexually naive male rat for both the treated with E. Iongifolia Jack and control groups were willing to overcome to reach the estrous receptive female in the goal cage.

The word aphrodisiac is derived from ‘Aphrodite’, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexuality, and aphrodisiacs are the substances which stimulate sexual desire. The possibility of bioactive aphrodisiacs which may be derived from plants, animals or minerals, bas been attractive throughout recorded history.

The effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack were studied on the libido of sexually experienced male rats after dosing them with 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight twice daily of different fractions of E. longifolia Jack for 10 days.

Sexual health is an important issue in quality of life of males and females. In males’ sexual well-being, dissatisfaction in sexual life is significantly caused by erectile dysfunction (ED), which is defined as a consistent or recurrent inability of a man to attain and/or maintain penile erection sufficient for sexual activity.

Eurycoma longifolia, native to Burma, Indochina, Thailand, and Southeast Asia is a tall Simaroubaceous slender shrub-tree commonly found as an understroy in the lowland forests at up to 500 m above sealevel. E. longifolia known locally as ‘Tongkat Ali’ in Malaysia, ‘Pasakbumi’ in Indonesia, ‘Cay ba binh’ in Vietnam and ‘Ian-don’ in Thailand is popularly sought after in herbal remedies and has been frequently prescribed either as a single ingredient or as a mixture with other herbs.

The effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack were studied on the libido of sexually experienced male rats after dosing them with 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight twice daily of different fractions of E. longifolia Jack for 10 days.

Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Simaroubaceae), which is known as `Tongkat Ali' or Ali's walking stick in Malaysia, is a plant that grows to a height of 10 m with a branch diameter of 10 cm. It is found in primary and secondary, evergreen and mixed deciduous forests in Burma, Indochina, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and the Phillipines. It is popularly used, singly or as an essential component, in herbal remedies, for various illnesses including fevers, aches, sexual insufficiency, hypertensive, tuberculosis, vermifuge and as health supplement.

Eurycoma longifolia Jack, from the Simaroubaceae family and identified locally as 'Tongkat Ali', is found in primary and secondary, evergreen and mixed deciduous forests in Burma, Indochina, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines. It is popularly sought after as a singly or an essential component for the treatment of fevers, aches, sexual insufficiency and also as health supplements, but has not been indicated strongly for any specific illness.

Some quassinoids (1-6) isolated previously as plant growth inhibitors from the leaves of Eurycoma longifolia Jack. (Simaroubaceae) were subjected to in vitro tests on anti-tumor promoting, antischistosomal and plasmodicidal activities.

Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia Jack, family, Simaroubaceae) is traditionally used in Malaysia as health supplement for hypertension, diarrhea, aches, persistent fever, malaria, sexual insufficiency, dysentery, and glandular swelling. In this study, hydroalcoholic extract of Eurycoma longifolia Jack was studied for its antioxidant and in-vitro anti-inflammatory properties.

Objective: To evaluate methanolic, ethanolic, acetone and aqueous extracts from different parts of Eurycoma longifolia (E. longifolia) (leave, stem, and root) for antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and to utilize the leaves and stem parts rather than the root, which is already used for male sexual enhancement in Malaysia.