Nature versus nurture--plant resources in management of male infertility.
Male infertility, apart from being a multi-factorial disorder, has no defined etiology in almost half of the infertile men. The complex etiology demands a complex remedy which can heal several ailments together. Currently available specific treatments are largely inefficient in infertility treatment. Medicinal plants present a repertoire capable of providing varied constituents which could be helpful in infertility management. However, the literature on the same is scanty and we have not explored even 1 percent of the available plant resources. Herein, we present a systematic review of clinical and experimental data on the use of Indian medicinal herbs in the treatment of male infertility. Literature suggests that most of the medicinal herbs exhibit a three dimensional effect of reducing oxidative/psychological stress, fatigue and promoting libido. This review is oriented to identify and highlight aphrodisiac, adaptogenic, anti-oxidant and nutritional properties of these plants and aims at promoting exploration of these valuable medicinal resources.
Endocrinology Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lucknow, India.
Madhukar Shivajirao
MS
Dama
Pratap Singh
PS
Akhand
Singh
S
Rajender
D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification
D010936:Plant Extracts