Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background. Erectile dysfunction has remained as one of the major global health issues. Since the discovery of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, a significant portion of the patients has solved the issue of erectile dysfunction. However, the wide distribution of phosphodiesterase type 5 enzymes at various sites of the body led phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors to cause various unnecessary outcomes. Hence, it is vital to look for and find optional agents that could solve these limitations. The people of Ethiopia depend heavily on medicinal plants to ease their ailments, including erectile dysfunction. Aim of the study. The current study was carried out to systematically review the traditional medicinal plants used for the management of erectile dysfunction in Ethiopia. Method. A systematic and manual search was conducted to retrieve relevant articles published from 2000 to August 2020. Electronic databases of PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar, and grey literature were employed to access the studies. Accordingly, fifty-four published articles and thesis papers were finally included in this study. Result. Seventy plant species have been reported for the management of erectile dysfunction in Ethiopia. The commonly recorded family was Fabaceae, followed by Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Solanaceae. The plant species that represented the highest number of citations were Asparagus africanus, succeeded by Ricinus communis and Carissa spinarum. The commonest plant part used was roots. Majority of the medicinal plants were administered orally. The growth forms of the reported species were primarily herbs followed by shrubs. Conclusion. The present review compiled medicinal plants utilized by the Ethiopian community to manage erectile dysfunction. The findings will serve as a reference for the selection of plants for further pharmacological, toxicological, and phytochemical investigations in developing new plant-based drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Medicinal Plants Used by Oromo Community in Kofale District, West-Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

“… Icacinaceae Odda badaa T Ba Stomachache Hu Decoction Oral 23 GN-66 Stomachache, cough, 28 ; child diarrheal disease, cholera, general health problem (low weight and compromised immunity of infants 24 Ba Internal parasite infection LS Crushed & mixed with water Oral 9 Arundinaria alpina K. Schum Poaceae Leman Sh Sh Hemorrhoid, diarrhea Hu Leaves are pounded and squeezed and mixed with water Oral 12 GN-48 Neck tumour 23 Asparagus africanus Lam. Asparagaceae Sariiti H L Breast cancer Hu Crush leaves and add honey Oral 59 GN-2 Malaria, 51 erectile dysfunction, 52 malaria 53 R Anthrax Ls Crush fresh root and mix it with water Oral 6 Blackleg 5 Bersama abyssinica Fresen. Melianthaceae Koraqa Sh …”

Medicinal plants and their uses by a folk medicinal practitioner of Matlab Upazila in Chandpur district, Bangladesh

“…Hexane fraction of chloroform extract of ginger reportedly increased sexual stimulation index in mice; plasma dihydrotestosterone levels were also increased via an increase in cyclic GMP [82] . Plumbago zeylanica is used in Ethiopia for treatment of erectile dysfunction [83] . Zingiber officinale is a well-known plant and is used in diet-based therapy because of its anti-diabetic action and its complications.…”

Medicinal plants utilized in the management of epilepsy in Ethiopia: ethnobotany, pharmacology and phytochemistry

“…It is estimated that approximately 56,000 tons of wild MPs were collected per annum, which can potentially inject two billion Birr into the economy [ 42 ]. Such magnitude of MPs consumption is strongly associated with the accessibility, economic affordability, and cultural acceptability of MPs in different communities of Ethiopia [ 43 ].…”