Aphrodisiac effects of Panax ginseng extract standardized with ginsenoside Rg3 in male rats

Panax ginseng Sildenafil citrate Sex behavior Sexual disorders In traditional medicine, Panax ginseng has been used to treat various behavioral effects. However, a little is known about the effect of ginsenoside Rg3, the most ingredients in panax ginseng, on male copulatory and sexual behavior. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of panax ginseng extract standardized with ginsenoside Rg3 (PGRg3) on general mating behaviour, libido, potency and the adverse effects in normal male Sprague-Dawley rats. Four tests were carried out to evaluate different sexual parameters. Male rats were divided into different groups in each test and treated with different doses of PGRg3 (50, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w.) and Sildenafil citrate (5 mg/kg b.w). Female rats with oestrus phase were used to analyze the mating behavior.The results indicated that PGRg3 significantly increased mounting frequency, intromission frequency, ejaculatory latency in the first and second series, erection, quick flips, long flips and aggregate of penile reflexes. Whereas, it significantly decreases mounting latency, intromission latency and post ejaculatory intervals in dose dependent manner. Moreover, PGRg3 was found to be devoid of any conspicuous gastric ulceration and any other adverse effects. PGRg3 extract at the higher dose (500 mg/kg b.w.) was comparable to the standards drug Sildenafil citrate with regards to all the tested parameters. It could be concluded that PGRg3 extract produced a significant and sustained increase in the sexual activity of normal male rats without any conspicuous gastric ulceration and adverse effects. The most important conclusion is that the resultant aphrodisiac effectively of PGRg3 extract lends support to the claims for its traditional usage in sexual disorders.