Abstract
Lycium barbarum, also known as wolfberry, has been commonly used as an oriental herb in China for a long period. Wolfberry is suggested to be antiaging and used to maintain health of kidneys, liver, and the eyes. In the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, wolfberry was also prescribed for patients who suffered from dysfunctions of sexual desire. Although it has been put into application for a long history, the underlying mechanism is still elusive. In the past decades, increasing lines of evidence support the roles of wolfberry in promoting male sexual functioning. The benefit of wolfberry was shown on different aspects including preventing the reproductive tissues from oxidative insult, improving motility of sperm, maintaining a testosterone level, and promoting sexual performance of the hemicastrated rats. This chapter discusses on the recent research findings, both from bench and bedside, which support the prosexual function of wolfberry, and discusses the potential clinical application of wolfberry on the treatment of sexual behavior.
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Conclusion
Conclusion
Apart from protecting the DNA and alleviating the reproductive tissue damage due to hypothermia, oxidative stress, and radiation, the fruit also protects testis from damage by environment pollutant like BPA. Female fertility is also restored by a herbal medicine containing wolfberry. The fruit also shows protective effect to the cognitive function of offspring with prenatal stress. Different pieces of evidence have shown that L. barbarum would be an all-round aphrodisiac agent that not only improves the sexual function of male individual and the fertility of female, but also the general health of both male and female. These beneficial effects imply L. barbarum would be a potent functional food. Nevertheless, the drug interaction between the fruit and common drugs, especially drugs for chronic diseases, still need to be clarified, in order to utilize wolfberry as an adjunctive therapy for sexual dysfunctions. Yet, further studies may be needed to determine the therapeutic dosage of wolfberry as the quality control of the fruit and the active components are still being elusive.
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Lau, BM., Leung, MP., Po, KT., Chang, RC., So, KF. (2015). Prosexual Effects of Lycium Barbarum . In: Chang, RC., So, KF. (eds) Lycium Barbarum and Human Health. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9658-3_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9658-3_8
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