Zeitschrift für Tropenkrankheiten und öffentliche Gesundheit

Abstrakt

In-vivo and In-silico Investigations on Goron Tula (Azanza garckeana F. Hoffm), a Booster of Female Sexual Arousal and Vaginal Lubrication

Ben E. Ehigiator*, Raphael I. Okoli, Nkem G. Ndubueze, Omotayo O. Ebong

Female sexual arousal and vagina lubrication are core complexes in achieving and enjoying a desirable sexual life in females. It has been noticed that female sexual arousal disorders have been kept away from public discus and statistics because of the lack of boldness on the part of women in speaking up about it, poor collation of medical cases, and the African mentality that tends to forbid women from being outspoken on sexual satisfaction. Azanza garckeana, a fruit native to northern Nigeria, is being used in traditional settings in diverse female sexual disorders and conditions.

This study was designed to evaluate in-vivo, the female sex-enhancing claim of the plant. The study examined the vaginal width, ear twitching, and vagina lubrication in A. garckeana treated Oryctogalus cuniculus (American rabbit). Use of In-silico studies to dock previously identified secondary metabolites against targets and enzymes associated with female sexual arousal and vagina lubrication.

The results show that the aqueous extract of A. garckeana caused a significant increase in the vagina width and lubrication of Oryctogalus cuniculus and significantly enhanced vaginal muscle relaxations and vaginal secretions upon sexual stimulation. This suggests the involvement of a mechanism that involves activation of female sexual excitatory systems and inhibition of those that depress female sexual arousal, or a combination of both. These findings corroborate findings from the molecular docking studies, which suggest that gossypol may play an important role in female sexual arousal and vagina lubrication because it looks to have some affinity with the targets of consideration in this study. Therefore, gossypol may well be responsible for the sex-enhancing activity of the plant.