title: Allanblackia floribunda Oliv.: An aphrodisiac plant with vasorelaxant properties.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allanblackia floribunda Oliv. is one of the most commonly used medicinal plant in Cameroon. The stem bark of the plant is traditionally used for its aphrodisiac and antihypertensive properties.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To validate the traditional uses of Allanblackia floribunda stem bark ethanol extract through the evaluation of their aphrodisiac and vasorelaxant properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  The extract's ability to increase sexual desire and the frequencies of erection (mount), intromission and prolonged latency of ejaculation were studied on adult male rats. The vasodilator effect was investigated using isolated rat aorta rings. Tests were conducted using fractions obtained by reverse phase column-chromatography (CC), after the acquisition of the HPLC fingerprint of the ethanol extract, resulted the most active in previous studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CC allowed the isolation of five fractions whose aphrodisiac and vasodilator activities were tested and compared with those of the whole extract. Four compounds were identified and characterized, three of them, Fukugiside, Morelloflavone and Volkensiflavone, are secondary metabolites known to be in Allanblackia floribunda; the fourth, Spicataside, is a biflavonoid glycoside known to be present in the genus Garcinia but never found neither in Allanblackia floribunda nor in Allanblackia genus. The crude ethanolic extract (CEE) induced a relaxation on aorta rings with EC50=11±2μg/mL and Morelloflavone displayed a similar activity with EC50=42±6μg/mL; for all the other compounds only the vasodilation % at the maximum concentration assessable (90μg/mL) was determined: 30±8 (Fukugiside), 24±6 (Spicataside), 33±4 (Morelloflavone+Volkensiflavone), 47±1 (Volkensiflavone). Regarding the activity on male sexual behaviour, only CEE and Fukugiside showed activity in the 9 parameters evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results may support the traditional uses of Allanblackia floribunda as aphrodisiac plant with antihypertensive properties suggesting the phytocomplex as responsible for the claimed activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Center for Studies and Researches in Ethnobiopharmacy and Traditional and Complementary Medicines University of Pavia (CEMEC), Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: gloria.brusotti@unipv.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brusotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Center for Studies and Researches in Ethnobiopharmacy and Traditional and Complementary Medicines University of Pavia (CEMEC), Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Temporini
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orlandini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon.
authors.forename: A Kada
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Watcho
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde, Cameroon.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kamtchouing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects*; D001046:Aphrodisiacs / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D044946:Biflavonoids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D056148:Chromatography, Reverse-Phase; D028084:Clusiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013997:Time Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001046:Aphrodisiacs; D044946:Biflavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C105620:morelloflavone; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Allanblackia floribunda bark extract; Aorta; Aphrodisiac; Vasodilation