Sexual prowess from nature: A systematic review of medicinal plants used as aphrodisiacs and sexual dysfunction in sub-Saharan Africa

Sexual dysfunction is a serious health challenge characterized by inability to achieve, keep, and maintain penile erection enough for stimulating coitus. Literature suggests that many people suffering from sexual dysfunction continue to explore aphrodisiac plants as alternative therapy. However, the extent to which these plants are used across the sub-Saharan region is not known. The aim of this paper is therefore to present a review of aphrodisiac medicinal plants used for the treatment of sexual dysfunction in order to identity existing gaps regarding the indigenous knowledge, ethnopharmacology, and toxicology of the implicated plants in the region. The information used was sourced from books, published and unpublished dissertations and theses, as well as published articles using online databases. This review presents a total of 209 plant species belonging to 73 families used in sub-Saharan Africa to treat sexual dysfunction.The families Fabaceae (28), Rubiaceae (16), Euphorbiaceae (11), Apocynaceae (10), Asteraceae (9), and Rutaceae (7)dominated the plant species used in the treatments.South Africa (75), Uganda (32)and Nigeria (28)are the countries with the highest recorded number of plant species, with the roots being the most used plant parts, and decoctions the most preferred method of preparation.Forty-eight plant species including Gloriosa superba, Mucuna pruriens, Sphenocentrum jollyanum, and Morella serrata have previously been evaluated scientifically, thus lending credence to the folkloric usage of the plants. Regarding the toxicity, the review reveals that only 77 plant species have been evaluated, of which 25 exhibited varying degrees of toxicity in test animals, for example,Bulbine natalensis and Callilepsis laureola are reported to be toxic to the liver. Overall, this review demonstrates the need for further studies including ethnopharmacology and toxicology of the documented plants, so that they can be properly utilized for traditional treatment and harnessed for drug discovery processes.