Effects of Dracaena arborea (Dracaenaceae) on sexual dysfunction in 4 weeks hyperglycemic male rats

Abstract Objective To investigate the effects of Dracaena arborea ( D. arborea ) on the sexual behavior parameters in experienced type-1 diabetic rats. Methods Aqueous and ethanol (100 and 500 mg/kg respectively) extracts of dried root barks of D. arborea , sildenafil citrate (1.44 mg/kg), trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO, 20 mg/kg) and distilled water (10 mL/kg) were orally administered to 4 weeks streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Mount latency and frequency (ML, MF), intromission latency and frequency (IL, IF) and post-ejaculatory interval (PEI) were measured by ejaculatory series during 90 min once a week for 4 weeks. Glycemia was determined at the beginning and at the end of the treatment. Results D. arborea did not show any major antihyperglycemic effects. Compared to the control group, a significant ( P D. arborea after two weeks (series 1) of treatment. ML, IL and PEI were significantly ( P D. arborea aqueous 500 mg/kg (94.33, 94.33% and 66.60%) and ethanol extracts 100 mg/kg (96.98, 97.08% and 64.26%)]. Conclusions These aphrodisiac potentials of D. arborea in experienced diabetic rats could be due to the antioxidant and androgenic properties of phenols, flavonoids, saponins and sterols revealed in the plant extracts.