Effect of Eurycoma longifolia Jack on the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle of rats
Tee Bae Huey Department of Physiology
University of Malaya
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Abstract:
Eurycoma longifolia Jack, has long been reputed locally for potent androgenic and erectogenic effects. Although scientific studies are available on the androgenic properties, no work has been conducted to confirm the erectogenic claims. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Eurycoma longifolia on the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM). Hexanic (HX), dichloromethanic (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), water-saturated n-butanolic (BU) and final aqueous (FA) fractions (20 mg/ml), obtained from crude ethanolic extract of the roots, were added to phenylephrine-precontracted CCSM of Sprague-Dawley rats (n=6) in organ bath experiments. Tension changes induced by the fractions were recorded by a physiological data acquisition system (PowerLab). Although significant (p<0.001) relaxation of the CCSM was obtained for all fractions, marked differences in the potency of each fraction were observed. Thus, DCM was more potent than HX (p<0.01), BU (p<0.01) and FA (p<0.001), while EA was more effective than HX (p<0.05) and FA (p<0.001). Overall, DCM and EA showed the highest potency in relaxing CCSM. In conclusion, roots of Eurycoma longifolia appear to contain putative compounds of semi-polarity that can cause relaxation of CCSM. As far as can be ascertained, this is the first report of such finding for this plant.
