Abstract

According to the traditional ayurvadic book Sida acuta Burm.f. (Malvaceae) claimed to have good aphrodisiac potential, but the actual action is not yet proved by scientific methods. Therefore the present study was conducted to investigate the aphrodisiac potential of Sida acuta Burm.f. Acute toxicity test was carried out to determine the nature and extent of untoward reaction which might follow the administration of a single dose (or an overdose) of a drug. The acute toxicity study was carried out on male mice by the administration of PE, CH and ME extracts of Sida acuta Burm.f. (Leaves) orally at one dose level (150, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg/kg) once only. Finally a dose of 2000 mg/kg was selected which is 1/10^th of the toxic dose. Furthermore, male albino rats were distributed into 5 groups consisting of six rats per group. Rats in group I (control) were administered with 1 ml/kg, p.o. of saline. Group II rats were treated with Sildenafil citrate at a dose 5 mg/kg, s.c while those in group III, IV and V were given 200 mg/kg of PEE, CE and ME of Sida acuta Burm.f. The Sexual behaviour study was carried out on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28^th. The sexual behaviours were preceded with perceptive and pre-copulatory behaviours in the animals. The increase in Mount Frequency, and Intromission Frequency, and decrease in the Mount and Intromission Latencies, Ejaculation Latency and Post Ejaculatory Phase was observed on 0, 7, 14 and 28^th consecutive days of treatment period. The present investigation reveals that oral administration of all the extracts of Sida acuta Burm.f.  leaves showed significant increase in aphrodisiac activity, but CE remarkably enhanced male sexual behavior in male rats.

Key words: Sidenafil, Sexual behavior, aphrodisiac, pre-copulatory, toxic, Sida acuta Burm.f., chloroform extract (CE), petroleum ether extract (PEE), methanol extract (ME).