Tomato, a Potential Yin Food, Protects against Stroke

Backgroud: Ischemic stroke is one of the challenge strategies nowadays due to the limitation of therapeutic efficacy. Yin deficiency and oxidative stress have been implicated in the mechanism of brain damage induced by cerebral ischemia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether tomato, a “Yang food” possessing antioxidant, may ameliorate brain damage in focal cerebral ischemia induced by right middle cerebral artery occlusion. Methods: Male rats were orally given tomato pomace (contained total phenolic compound 413.07 ± 34.45 mg of gallic acid equivalent/mg) at doses of 2, 19 and 50 mg/kg at a period of 2 weeks before and 3 weeks after the occlusion of right middle cerebral artery. Then, they were determined the brain ischemic volume and neurological score. Moreover, the markers of oxidative stress including malondialdehyde level and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in hippocampus, striatum and cerebral cortex were also determined. Result: The results showed that tomato pomace could mitigate brain damage and neurological impairment. The neuroprotective mechanism might occur partly via the decreased oxidative stress. Conclusion: Tomato may provide health benefit for those who are risk for stroke. However, further researches are required.

Anethum graveolens Linn.(dill) extract enhances the mounting frequency and level of testicular tyrosine protein phosphorylation in rats

Objective:To investigate the effect of Anethum graveolens(AG) extracts on the mounting frequency,histology of testis and epididymis,and sperm physiology.Methods:Male rats induced by cold immobilization before treating with vehicle or AG extracts [50,150,and 450 mg/kg body weight(BW)] via gastric tube for consecutive 1,7,and 14 d were examined for mounting frequency,testicular phosphorylation level by immunoblotting,sperm concentration,sperm acrosome reaction,and histological structures of testis and epididymis,respectively.Results:AG(50 mg/kg BW) significantly increased the mounting frequency on Days 1 and 7 compared to the control group.Additionally,rat testis treated with 50 mg/kg BW AG showed high levels of phosphorylated proteins as compared with the control group.In histological analyses,AG extract did not affect the sperm concentration,acrosome reaction,and histological structures of testis and epididymis.Conclusions:AG extract enhances the aphrodisiac activity and is not harmful to sperm and male reproductive organs.

Moringa oleifera extract enhances sexual performance in stressed rats

Aphrodisiacs are required to improve male sexual function under stressful conditions. Due to the effects of oxidative stress and dopamine on male sexual function, we hypothesized that Monnga oleifera leaves might improve male sexual dysfunction induced by stress. Therefore, the effects on various factors playing important roles in male sexual behavior, such as antioxidant effects, the suppression of monoamine and phosphodiesterase type 5 （PDE-5） activities, serum testosterone and corticosterone levels, and histomorphological changes in the testes, of a hy- droethanolic extract of M. oleifera leaves were investigated. Various doses of extract including 10, 50, and 250 mg/kg body weight （BW） were given orally to male Wistar rats before exposure to 12 h-immobilization stress for 7 d. The results demonstrated that the extract showed both antioxidant and monoamine oxidase type B （MAO-B） suppression activities. At 7 d of treatment, the low dose of extract improved sexual performance in stress-exposed rats by de- creasing intromission latency and increasing intromission frequency. It also suppressed PDE-5 activity, decreased serum corticosterone level, but increased serum testosterone, numbers of interstitial cells of Leydig and spermatozoa. The increased numbers of interstitial cells of Leydig and spermatozoa might have been due to the antioxidant effect of the extract. The increased sexual performance during the intromission phase might have been due to the suppression of MAO-B and PDE-5 activities and increased testosterone. Therefore, M. oleifera is a potential aphrodisiac, but further research concerning the precise underlying mechanisms is still needed.