The Effectiveness of Combined Ethanol Root Extract of Terminalia avicennioides, Terminalia superba and Seeds of Hunteria umbellata on Paroxetine-Induced Erectile Dysfunction in Male Wistar Rats

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has posed problems among several married couples. This study evaluated the efficacy of combined ethanol root extracts of Terminalia avicennioides, Terminalia superba and seeds of Hunteria umbellata on Paroxetine-induced erectile dysfunction in male Wistar rats. Fresh roots of plants were collected, pulverized, extracted with 70% ethanol, dried in an oven at 400C and subjected to phytochemical screening. The plants were mixed in a ratio of 1:1:1; T. superba and T. avicennioides (TASM) mixed; T. superba, T. avicennioides and H. umbellata (TASHM) mixed. The rats were acclimatized, grouped and induced with paroxetine hydrochloride at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Sildenafil was used as a standard control at a dose of 10 mg/kg. The rats received 1 ml of TASM and TASHM. Nitric oxide (NO), male sex hormones and histological examinations of testes were evaluated. Saponins reducing sugars, terpenoids, steroids, phenolic compounds, tannins, and flavonoids were present in all the plant extracts. NO showed a significant increase (p<0.05) at 75 mg/kg body weight of TASM and TASHM, while LH, FSH, and TH presented a significant (p<0.05) increase at 100 mg/kg of TASHM. Increased level of spermatogenesis and Leydig cell proliferation were evident in histology studies. A combination of TASHM at 75 mg/kg produced moderate efficacy.