Icariin- "the natural Viagra"

TexasLifter89

TexasLifter89

Well-known member

Horny Goat Weed may offer Viagra alternative: study

24 minutes ago
LONDON (Reuters) - A Chinese herbal remedy called horny goat weed is a promising alternative to Viagra for impotent men, Italian researchers said on Monday.
The herb has long held a reputation as a natural aphrodisiac. The lab experiments, which did not look at whether the plant actually increases desire, could lead to new drugs to help men get erections, said Mario Dell'Agli, a researcher at the University of Milan, who led the study.
"This could be the natural Viagra," he said in a telephone interview. "The novelty is that we have synthesized a new molecule that one day may be able to replace Viagra."
Erectile dysfunction is a common condition worldwide, and drugs like Pfizer Inc's But the medicines, which inhibit an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 that restricts blood flow around the body, including to the penis, can have side effects ranging from headaches, upset stomach and visual problems including blindness.
The Italian team looked for alternatives by studying a number of plants reputed to boost sexual performance.
After homing in on horny goat weed, the researchers modified a compound in the plant called icariin and found it blocked the erection-inhibiting enzyme as well as Viagra did.
Because the compound targets the enzyme more precisely, it may have fewer side effects than Viagra, known generically as sildenafil, Dell'Agli said.
Further tests in animals and humans are needed but the extract from the herb represents a potential new erectile dysfunction treatment with fewer side effects, Dell'Agli said.
"The compound icariin is present in the horny goat weed in large amounts and its activity against (the enzyme) is lower compared to Viagra," he said. "But the new molecule we synthesized from icariin is as good as Viagra against (the enzyme)."
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Maggie Fox and Elizabeth Piper)
 
Good find Tex!

But, my icariin must be defective:sad:
 
my wife hates icarin. well she hates sex and icarin causes me to want to do it all the time so

so just add it up lol
 
The soft green heart-shaped leaf of the horny goat weed could hold the key to a new drug for treating erectile dysfunction. Researchers say the Viagra alternative could be as effective as the famous blue pill, but have fewer side-effects.

Mario Dell'Agli of the University of Milan, Italy, and colleagues tested four plants which are used as natural aphrodisiacs in traditional cultures to establish their potential as alternatives to Viagra.

Viagra's active compound, sildenafil, works by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5). Because PDE5 helps control blood flow to the penis, inhibiting PDE5 promotes male erection.

Dell'Agli and his colleagues tested the four plants in vitro to see how efficient they were at inhibiting PDE5. Just one - Epimedium brevicornum, also known as horny goat weed and Bishop's Hat - had an effect. This confirmed previous studies showing that icariin, a compound found inside the horny goat weed, is a PDE5 inhibitor.

The fifth compound
Sildenafil, however, is 80 times more effective at inhibiting PDE5 than icariin. Dell'Agli and his team extracted icariin from the plants, and produced six modified versions of it, which they also tested on PDE5. The most efficient of these, compound 5, "works as well as Viagra", says Dell'Agli.

A drug made from compound 5 could also cause fewer side effects than Viagra.

In addition to PDE5, sildenafil affects other phosphodiesterases, including some that are essential to sight and heart function. As a result, people who have heart problems are not advised to take Viagra and patients who do take the drug sometimes suffer disturbances to their eyesight.

Preliminary tests suggest that compound 5 does not affect other phosphodiesterases, meaning it may not have the same side effects as Viagra.

Eat your weeds
Compound 5 will now have to go through lengthy clinical trials before it can be approved as a drug. It could be 10 years before it reaches the market.

In the meantime, "if people eat horny goat weed, I think it can be beneficial because it contains icariin," says Dell'Agli. "But it will not be as effective as Viagra."

Horny goat weed is found in the wild in China, Asia and Europe.

The research was supported by private funds, but Dell'Agli declined to provide details.

Journal reference: Journal of Natural Products, DOI: 10.1021/np800049y






for some reason I dont think we are gonna get our hands on compound 5 , dammmmm the establishement...!
 
I will let some of you scientists figure this one out and then give it to us in laymens terms.

Potent Inhibition of Human Phosphodiesterase-5 by Icariin Derivatives
Invalid Link Removed
 
TexasLifter89 said:

Horny Goat Weed may offer Viagra alternative: study

24 minutes ago
LONDON (Reuters) - A Chinese herbal remedy called horny goat weed is a promising alternative to Viagra for impotent men, Italian researchers said on Monday.
The herb has long held a reputation as a natural aphrodisiac. The lab experiments, which did not look at whether the plant actually increases desire, could lead to new drugs to help men get erections, said Mario Dell'Agli, a researcher at the University of Milan, who led the study.
"This could be the natural Viagra," he said in a telephone interview. "The novelty is that we have synthesized a new molecule that one day may be able to replace Viagra."
Erectile dysfunction is a common condition worldwide, and drugs like Pfizer Inc's But the medicines, which inhibit an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 that restricts blood flow around the body, including to the penis, can have side effects ranging from headaches, upset stomach and visual problems including blindness.
The Italian team looked for alternatives by studying a number of plants reputed to boost sexual performance.
After homing in on horny goat weed, the researchers modified a compound in the plant called icariin and found it blocked the erection-inhibiting enzyme as well as Viagra did.
Because the compound targets the enzyme more precisely, it may have fewer side effects than Viagra, known generically as sildenafil, Dell'Agli said.
Further tests in animals and humans are needed but the extract from the herb represents a potential new erectile dysfunction treatment with fewer side effects, Dell'Agli said.
"The compound icariin is present in the horny goat weed in large amounts and its activity against (the enzyme) is lower compared to Viagra," he said. "But the new molecule we synthesized from icariin is as good as Viagra against (the enzyme)."
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Maggie Fox and Elizabeth Piper)
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damn- sorry i missed this one- good post :)
 
Steveoph said:
Not sure what their modification was exactly, but it shouldn't be too different from Icariin's activity.
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I believe it might actually be just a natural metabolite.
 
So which is better HGW or Icarin? Like if you are buying bulk products should you buy Icarin or HGW? Which is stronger?
 
poison said:
Buy Icariin. Most HGW supps are standardized for % icariin.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The study is nothing new - traditional use for HGW since time began (see log).

You are still better off with icariin IMO.

HGW also gives an energy boost and what I've just found is it works extemely well with high quality ginseng. Incredible levels of energy.
 
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