Sexual behavior effect of orally administered crude aqueous extract of Terminalia schimperiana Root in male Wistar rat

Abstract

The Proximate composition, phytochemical composition and the effect of oral administration of aqueous extract of Terminalia schimperiana root on male wistar rat sexual behavior were determined. The root was collected and extracted with water, the phytochemical screening was carried out using the standard procedures and revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, Phenolics, anthocyanin and Tannins. The Proximate analysis results obtained showed the amount of crude protein, crude fat and total carbohydrates to be 6.31±0.75, 4.64±0.82 and 17.79 ±0.53 respectively of the sample while the percentage of crude fiber, ash and moisture content in the root sample were 32.72 ±0.59, 0.35±0.12 and 10.35±0.18 respectively. Aqueous extract of Terminalia schimperiana root was orally administered to sexually active rats in a daily dose of 1000, 2000 and 3000 mg/Kg body weight for 5 days, the sexual behavior was monitored and testosterone serum level was measured on Terminalia schimperiana treated rats, control rats “that received vehicle” and the reference group “ that received Powmax”. Oral administration of Terminalia schimperiana significantly increased the mount frequency, intromission frequency and prolonged the ejaculatory latency. In addition, a significant increase in the copulatory efficacy was reported for the test groups and testosterone serum level was significantly increased in Terminalia schimperiana treated rats compared to controls and reference. The present study revealed that continuous administration of Terminalia schimperiana aqueous extract for a period of 5 days improves the sexual motivation and performance in adult male rats, an effect that may be linked to increased testosterone level, the nutrient composition and the phytochemicals.