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. 2019 Mar 19;19(1):71.
doi: 10.1186/s12906-019-2481-0.

Ocimum gratissimum Linn. Leaves reduce the key enzymes activities relevant to erectile dysfunction in isolated penile and testicular tissues of rats

Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo  1   2 , Adebola Busola Ojo  3 , Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye  4   5 , Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye  4 , Omosola Olufisayo Anifowose  6 , Ayodeji Akawa  7 , Oluranti Esther Olaiya  7 , Oluwaseun Ruth Olasehinde  7 , Abidemi Paul Kappo  5
Affiliations

Ocimum gratissimum Linn. Leaves reduce the key enzymes activities relevant to erectile dysfunction in isolated penile and testicular tissues of rats

Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo et al. BMC Complement Altern Med. .

Abstract

Background: Ocimum gratissimum L. is a medicinal plant widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions with the leaf decoction usually taken in folk medicine to enhance erectile performance in men although the probable mechanism of actions remains undetermined. This study examined the inhibitory potentials of Ocimum gratissimum leaves on some key enzymes associated with erectile dysfunction in penile and testicular tissues of the rat.

Methods: Inhibitory effect of aqueous extract (1:10 w/v) of O. gratissimum leaves on the activities of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5), arginase, angiotensin I -converting enzyme (ACE), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in penile and testicular tissues were assessed. Also, the extract was investigated for ferric reducing antioxidant property(FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging abilities.

Results: The extract showed higher PDE-5 (IC50 = 43.19 μg/mL), ACE (IC50 = 44.23 μg/mL), AChE (IC50 = 55.51 μg/mL) and arginase (IC50 = 46.12 μg/mL) inhibitory activity in the penile tissue than PDE-5 (IC50 = 44.67 μg/mL), ACE (IC50 = 53.99 μg/mL), AChE (IC50 = 60.03 μg/mL) and arginase (IC50 = 49.12 μg/mL) inhibitory activity in the testicular tissue homogenate. Furthermore, the extract scavenged free radicals and in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion: The enzyme activities displayed might be associated with the bioactive compounds present in the extract which could possibly explain its use in the management of erectile dysfunction (ED).

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE); Angiotensin I –converting enzyme (ACE); Arginase; Erectile dysfunction; Ocimum gratissimum; Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5).

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interest

Authors declare no competing interest whatsoever throughout the compilation of the manuscript. This manuscript is original and has not been submitted to another journal for possible publication.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was done in compliance with the ethical committee of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Inhibition of Phosphodiesterase-5 activity in rats’ genitals by aqueous extract from Ocimum gratissimum leaves
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Inhibition of Arginase activity in rats’ genitals by aqueous extract from Ocimum gratissimum leaves
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase activity in rats’ genitals by aqueous extract from Ocimum gratissimum leaves
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Inhibition of Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme activity in rats’ genitals by aqueous extract from Ocimum gratissimum leaves
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
DPPH radical scavenging ability of aqueous extract of O. gratissimum leaves and vitamin C
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Ferric reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) of aqueous extract of O. gratissimum leaves and vitamin C
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