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Tribulus Terrestris
Tribulus Terrestris:
by Bodybuilding.com
What is it and where does it come from?
Tribulus Terrestris is a plant that grows in many tropical and moderate
areas of the world. Many different cultures have used it for a number of
conditions. For example, the Greeks used Tribulus terrestris as a
diuretic and a mood-enhancer.
Indians used it as a diuretic, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory. The
Chinese used it for a variety of liver, kidney, and cardiovascular
diseases. The people of Bulgaria used Tribulus terrestris as a sex
enhancer and to treat infertility. Recently, eastern European athletes
and strength champions have used it as well. High quality, nutrient rich
Tribulus terrestris is available from Bodybuilding.com.
What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support
this?
Tribulus Terrestris is a testosterone enhancer. Studies show that it
works very well when stacked with DHEA. It increases
testosterone levels in a different way then either DHEA or
Andro. Instead of being a "testosterone precursor", it leads to the
production of the luteinizing hormone (aka LH). When LH levels are increased,
the natural production of testosterone also increases. LH is a hormone
that also deals with sex drive. It has also been used to increase fertility
and help with impotence. Laboratory animal studies found that Tribulus Terrestris
increased sperm count as well as motility levels after taking it for 30 days.
Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
This is a good supplement for men and women to increase their sex drive.
According to Bill Phillips, (founder of EAS and Body For Life) "Tribulus
Terrestris can significantly 'lift' performance in the bedroom." Anyone
who wants to increase muscle growth (bodybuilders, athletes, etc.) would
be wise to try stacking Tribulus Terrestris with DHEA and Andro. Since
Tribulus Terrestris is not an essential nutrient, it is not associated
with any deficiency.
Clinical Research on Tribulus
Terrestris:
Aphrodisiac properties of Tribulus Terrestris
extract (Protodioscin) in normal and castrated rats.
Author:
Gauthaman K , Adaikan PG , Prasad RN
Source:
Life Sci, 71(12): 1385-96 2002
ABSTRACT:
Tribulus terrestris (TT) has long been used in the traditional
Chinese and Indian systems of medicine for the treatment of various
ailments and is popularly claimed to improve sexual functions in man.
Sexual behaviour and intracavernous pressure (ICP) were studied in
both normal and castrated rats to further understand the role of TT
containing protodioscin (PTN) as an aphrodisiac. Adult Sprague-Dawley
rats were divided into five groups of 8 each that included distilled
water treated (normal and castrated), testosterone treated (normal and
castrated, 10 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneously, bi-weekly) and TT
treated (castrated, 5 mg/kg body weight, orally once daily). Decreases
in body weight, prostate weight and ICP were observed among the
castrated groups of rats compared to the intact group. There was an
overall reduction in the sexual behaviour parameters in the castrated
groups of rats as reflected by decrease in mount and intromission
frequencies (MF and IF) and increase in mount, intromission,
ejaculation latencies (ML, IL, EL) as well as post-ejaculatory
interval (PEI). Compared to the castrated control, treatment of
castrated rats (with either testosterone or TT extract) showed
increase in prostate weight and ICP that were statistically
significant. There was also a mild to moderate improvement of the
sexual behaviour parameters as evidenced by increase in MF and IF;
decrease in ML, IL and PEI. These results were statistically
significant. It is concluded that TT extract appears to possess
aphrodisiac activity probably due to androgen increasing property of
TT (observed in our earlier study on primates).
Proerectile pharmacological effects of
Tribulus terrestris extract on the rabbit corpus
cavernosum.
Author:
Adaikan PG , Gauthaman K , Prasad RN , Ng SC
Source:
Ann Acad Med Singapore, 29(1): 22-6 2000
INTRODUCTION: The objective of the present study
was to investigate the effect of oral treatment of Tribulus terrestris
(TT) extract on the isolated corpus cavernosal tissue of New Zealand
white (NZW) rabbits and to determine the mechanism by which
protodioscin (PTN), a constituent of the TT, exerts its
pharmacological effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four NZW
rabbits were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups of 6 each.
Group I served as control. Groups II to IV were treated with the
extract at different dose levels, i.e. 2.5 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg
body weight, respectively. The TT extract was administered orally,
once daily, for a period of 8 weeks. The rabbits were then sacrificed
and their penile tissue isolated to evaluate the responses to both
contracting and relaxing pharmacological agents and electrical field
stimulation (EFS). RESULTS: PTN on its own had no effect on the
isolated corpus cavernosal strips. The relaxant responses to EFS,
acetylcholine and nitroglycerin in noradrenaline precontracted tissues
from treated groups showed an increase in relaxation of a
concentration dependent nature compared to that of the tissues from
control group. However, the contractile, anti-erectile response of
corpus cavernosal tissue to noradrenaline and histamine showed no
significant change between the treatment and the control groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The relaxant responses to acetylcholine, nitroglycerin
and EFS by more than 10%, 24% and 10% respectively compared to their
control values and the lack of such effect on the contractile response
to noradrenaline and histamine indicate that PTN has a proerectile
activity. The enhanced relaxant effect observed is probably due to
increase in the release of nitric oxide from the endothelium and
nitrergic nerve endings, which may account for its claims as an
aphrodisiac. However, further study is needed to clarify the precise
mechanism of its action.
Phytochemicals and the breakthrough of
traditional herbs in the management of sexual dysfunctions.
Author:
Adimoelja A
Source:
Int J Androl, 23 Suppl 2(): 82-4 2000
T raditional herbs have been a revolutionary
breakthrough in the management of erectile dysfunction and have become
known world-wide as an 'instant' treatment. The modern view of the
management of erectile dysfunction subscribes to a single etiology,
i.e. the mechanism of erection. A large number of pharmacological
agents are orally consumed and vasoactive agents inserted
intraurethrally or injected intrapenially to regain good erection.
Modern phytochemicals have developed from traditional herbs.
Phytochemicals focus their mechanism of healing action to the root
cause, i.e. the inability to control the proper function of the whole
body system. Hence phytochemicals manage erectile dysfunction in the
frame of sexual dysfunction as a whole entity. Protodioscin is a
phytochemical agent derived from Tribulus terrestris L plant, which
has been clinically proven to improve sexual desire and enhance
erection via the conversion of protodioscine to DHEA
(De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone). Preliminary observations suggest that
Tribulus terrestris L grown on different soils does not consistently
produce the active component Protodioscin. Further photochemical
studies of many other herbal plants are needed to explain the
inconsistent results found with other herbal plants, such as in
diversities of Ginseng, Eurycoma longifolia, Pimpinella pruacen, Muara
puama, Ginkgo biloba, Yohimbe, etc.
Protodioscin: its spectrum of cytotoxicity
against sixty human cancer cell lines in an anticancer drug screen
panel.
Author:
Hu K , Yao X
Source:
Planta Med, 68(4): 297-301 2002
P rotodioscin (NSC-698 796) is a furostanol
saponin isolated from the rhizome of Dioscorea collettii var.
hypoglauca (Dioscoreaceae), a Chinese herbal remedy for the treatment
of cervical carcinoma, carcinoma of urinary bladder and renal tumor
for centuries. To systematically evaluate its potential anticancer
activity, protodioscin was tested for cytotoxicity in vitro against 60
human cancer cell lines in the NCI's (National Cancer Institute, USA)
anticancer drug screen. As a result, protodioscin was cytotoxic
against most cell lines from leukemia and solid tumors in the NCI's
human cancer panel, especially selectively against one leukemia line
(MOLT-4), one NSCLC line (A549/ATCC), two colon cancer lines (HCT-116
and SW-620), one CNS cancer line (SNB-75), one melanoma line (LOX
IMVI), and one renal cancer line (786 - 0) with GI50 < or = 2.0
microM. In the general view of mean graphs, leukemia, colon cancer and
prostate cancer are the most sensitive subpanels, while ovarian cancer
is the least sensitive subpanel. Based on an analysis of COMPARE
computer program with protodioscin as a seed compound, no compounds in
the NCI's anticancer drug screen database have cytotoxicity patterns
(mean graphs) similar to those of protodioscin, indicating that a
potential novel mechanism of anticancer action is involved.
Determination of steroidal saponins in
Tribulus terrestris by reversed-phase high-performance liquid
chromatography and evaporative light scattering detection.
Author:
Ganzera M , Bedir E , Khan IA
Source:
J Pharm Sci, 90(11): 1752-8 2001
T his paper describes the first analytical
method suitable for the determination of steroidal saponins in
Tribulus terrestris. A separation by high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC) was achieved by using a reversed-phase (RP-18)
column, evaporative light scattering (ELS) detection, and a
water/acetonitrile gradient as the mobile phase. The marker compound,
protodioscin, was detected at a concentration as low as 10.0
microg/mL. Several different samples of plant material were
successfully analyzed, and depending on origin and plant part used for
extraction, significant differences in the composition of the saponins
were observed. The analysis of market products showed considerable
variations of 0.17 to 6.49% in the protodioscin content.
Two new sulfated furostanol saponins from
Tribulus terrestris.
Author:
Kostova I , Dinchev D , Rentsch GH , Dimitrov V , Ivanova A
Source:
Z Naturforsch [C], 57(1-2): 33-8 0
The known furostanol saponins
methylprotodioscin and protodioscin and two new sulfated saponins,
sodium salt of
26-O-beta-glucopyranosyl-22alpha-methoxy-(25R)-furost-5-ene-3beta,
26-diol-3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-4-O-sulfo-glucopyranoside
(methylprototribestin) and sodium salt of
26-O-beta-glucopyranosyl-22alpha-hydroxy-(25R)-furost-5-ene-3beta,
26-diol-3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-4-O-sulfo-glucopyranoside
(prototribestin) have been isolated from the aerial parts of Tribulus
terrestris L. growing in Bulgaria. The structures of the new compounds
were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D (DQF-COSY, TOCSY,
HSQC-TOCSY, HSQC, HMBC, ROESY) NMR data, ESI mass spectra and chemical
transformation
Phytochemicals and the breakthrough of
traditional herbs in the management of sexual dysfunctions.
Author:
Adimoelja A
Source:
Int J Androl, 23 Suppl 2(): 82-4 2000
T raditional herbs have been a revolutionary
breakthrough in the management of erectile dysfunction and have become
known world-wide as an 'instant' treatment. The modern view of the
management of erectile dysfunction subscribes to a single etiology,
i.e. the mechanism of erection. A large number of pharmacological
agents are orally consumed and vasoactive agents inserted
intraurethrally or injected intrapenially to regain good erection.
Modern phytochemicals have developed from traditional herbs.
Phytochemicals focus their mechanism of healing action to the root
cause, i.e. the inability to control the proper function of the whole
body system. Hence phytochemicals manage erectile dysfunction in the
frame of sexual dysfunction as a whole entity. Protodioscin is a
phytochemical agent derived from Tribulus terrestris L plant, which
has been clinically proven to improve sexual desire and enhance
erection via the conversion of protodioscine to DHEA
(De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone). Preliminary observations suggest that
Tribulus terrestris L grown on different soils does not consistently
produce the active component Protodioscin. Further photochemical
studies of many other herbal plants are needed to explain the
inconsistent results found with other herbal plants, such as in
diversities of Ginseng, Eurycoma longifolia, Pimpinella pruacen, Muara
puama, Ginkgo biloba, Yohimbe etc.
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