Alchornea cordifolia and Lecaniodiscus cupanioides supplemented diets abate sexual dysfunction and modulate altered biochemical indexes in the corpus cavernosum of scopolamine-administered rats

The prevalence of sexual dysfunction is high in mental illness-related diseases. This study seeks to assess the sexual-enhancing properties of Alchornea cordifolia and Lecaniodiscus cupanioides-supplemented diets in scopolamine-administered rats (SIA). The experimental design consists of 7 groups designated as Group 1: Healthy rats; Group 2: SIA (untreated); Group 3: SIA rats treated with tadalafil; Groups 4 and 5: SIA rats fed with diet supplemented with Alchornea cordifolia (10 and 20% inclusion) and Groups 6 and 7: SIA rats fed with diet supplemented with Lecaniodiscus cupanioides (10 and 20% inclusion). The rats were pre-treated with the supplemented diets; the rats were administered scopolamine (3 mg/kg body weight) on the 12th day of the experiment, and the sexual behavioural study was evaluated on the 14th day of the experiment. After that, the rats were sacrificed, penile tissue was removed and homogenised, and obtained homogenate was used for biochemical evaluations. The obtained results revealed that untreated SIA rats exhibited significantly lower sexual ability when compared with healthy and diet-treated SIA rats. Also, the untreated SIA rats had higher activity of phosphodiesterase-5, angiotensin-1-converting enzyme, arginase, acetylcholinesterase, reduced nitric oxide level and lower antioxidant status in penile tissue when compared with healthy rats and SIA rats pre-treated with the formulated diets, respectively. The sexual ability was enhanced, and the activity of key enzymes linked to erectile dysfunction was reduced in treated SIA rats. Lecaniodiscus cupanioide-supplemented diets promoted sexual ability higher than Alchornea cordifolia-supplemented diets when comparing their overall effects.