Biological Activities of Kinetin
Kinetin (N6-furfuryladenine) is a cytokinin growth factor with several biological effects observed for human cells and fruit flies. It was given the name kinetin because of its ability to induce cell division. Kinetin is often used in plant cell and tissu
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Ginseng and Male Sexual Behavior Laura L. Murphy and James S. Ferraro
Abstract Ginseng is widely used in Asian countries as a tonic to promote and maintain good health and as a constituent in herbal medicines used to treat various diseases, including liver dysfunction, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, postmenopausal symptoms, and impotence. Very few controlled clinical studies have been performed to validate the medicinal use of ginseng or its constituents in humans. However, laboratory studies, primarily using rodents, have elucidated potential medical uses for ginseng and ginsenosides in the treatment of a number of human disorders, including impotence and loss of libido. Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius have both been shown to enhance male copulatory behavior in laboratory studies. Human studies have suggested that ginseng ingestion may be a safe and effective alternative method for treatment of erectile dysfunction. Ginsenosides have been shown to interact with steroid receptors and, through nongenomic pathways, activate NO production. How ginseng and its ginsenosides may act centrally to modulate sexual desire and copulatory performance is not known, but could potentially involve activation of NO pathways, perhaps in brain areas involved in sexual behavior. Keywords Ginseng · Impotence · Erectile dysfunction · Sex behavior · Nitric oxide
Abbreviations cGMP GTP IIEF MPOA NANC
Cyclic guanosine-3 ,5 -monophosphate Guanosine triphosphate International Index of Erectile Function Medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus Nonadrenergic-noncholinergic neurons
L.L. Murphy and J.S. Ferraro (B) Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901-6512 USA, e-mail: [email protected]
K.G. Ramawat (ed.), Herbal Drugs: Ethnomedicine to Modern Medicine, c Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009 DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-79116-4 4,
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L.L. Murphy and J.S. Ferraro
NO Nitric oxide NOS Nitric oxide synthase, endothelial (e), neuronal (n), inducible (i) PDE Phosphodiesterase PVN Paraventricular nuclei VIP Vasoactive intestinal peptide
4.1 Introduction to Ginseng Ginseng most commonly refers to the plant Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Asian ginseng) or Panax quinquefolius L. (North American ginseng). Ginseng is widely used in Asian countries as a tonic to promote and maintain good health, and as a constituent in herbal medicines used to treat various diseases, including liver dysfunction, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, postmenopausal symptoms, and impotence [1–8]. Elsewhere, ginseng supplements are marketed as a natural stimulant that will increase endurance and vitality and improve overall health. It is the root of the ginseng plant that is harvested for its reported medicinal effects. The root is typically dried (white ginseng) or steamed (red ginseng) and can also be extracted to concentrate its bioactive components, the ginsenosides. Ginsenosides are unique to ginseng and are saponin glycosides containing one
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