Clerodendrum capitatum (Clerodendron) is a plant native from Tropical African region that belongs to the Verbenaceae family, the same family of Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora).
This plant is locally known as "Gung" in Sudan [1], "Pipe Tree" [2] and Mashayi[4], that grows between 0.2 to 2 meters high.
In Nigeria, Clerodendrum capitatum (Clerodendron) is used to treat diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension [10], and in Sudan it has been used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction [1,8,9], however and due to its vasodilatory and PDE5 inhibitory effects it may well be the new source of drugs against erectile dysfunction. Image: Clerodendrum thomsoniae, see credits under ref. [22] below.
CLERODENDRUM CAPITATUM
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Clerodendrum
Common name: Gung [1], Pipe tree [2], Mashayi [4].
IMPAIRED RELAXATION OF THE SMOOTH MUSCLE AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Erectile dysfunction is a clinical problem that affects many male adults in the world. In spite its origin could be due to different pathologies, including stress, diabetes, overweight, cardiovascular pathologies...etc.
It can also be caused by an impaired relaxation of the smooth muscles, the muscles that form the penis blood vessels and provide a constant blood flow into the spaces of the corpus cavernosum [2] of the penis [1] after sexual stimulation occurs. This blood flow increase is produced by the release of Nitric Oxide (NO).
HOW DO PDE5 INHIBITORS WORK?
In the last 15 years the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been revolutionized with the introduction of type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitors [7], let's see why.
The dilatation of the blood vessels is an effect of the accumulation of a substance known as cGMP (guanosine monophosphate), segregated after the sexual stimuli occurs. If nothing is done cGMP is slowly dissolved by PDE5, breaking it down and subsequently causing the contraction of blood vessels to the original state they had before the Nitric Oxide was released, decreasing the blood flow on the corpus cavernosum.
In spite the mechanism on how Clerodendrum capitatum (Clerodendron) extract inhibits Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) enzyme is not very clear, other PDE5 inhibitors as well-known commercial brands able to inhibit the action of PDE5 cell enzymes by blocking their mechanism of action, keeping the blood vessels dilated during longer periods and as far as the sexual stimuli continues, being a chemical option for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
RESULTS OF THE CLERODENDRUM CAPITATUM (CLERODENDRON)
In the study in question [1], sexually mature male New Zealand White rabbits, guinea pigs of either sex (300–500 g) and a rabbit of local strain (1.75 ± 0.25 kg) were used as models for the study. They were administered Clerodendrum capitatum (Clerodendron) extracts and sildenafil, another well-known PDE5 inhibitor.
The results on penile erection demonstrated that Clerodendrum capitatum (Clerodendron) significantly potentiating the relaxation of rabbit cavernosal strips. The PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil also prolonged the relaxations of cavernosal tissue and bovine penile arteries [1].
The plant extract showed high PDE5 inhibitory effect in comparison to the standard PDE5 inhibitor, sildenafil. The plant also showed potent relaxation in pre-contracted rabbit cavernous strips [1].
OTHER PROPERTIES OF CLERODENDRUM CAPITATUM (CLERODENDRON)
Some studies on the properties of Clerodendrum capitatum showed that this plant exerted anti-tumorgenic [11, 12], hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic [9], hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced liver injury in rats [13, 14], anti-inflammatory [15–16], radical-scavenging activity [14, 17–19], anti-diarrhoeal [20], anti-nociceptive, and antipyretic effects [21].
OTHER NATURAL PDE5 INHIBITORS
Other plants as Baccharis trimera, Haplopappus rigidus, Huperzia saururus, Maytenus ilicifolia, Satureja parvifolia and Senecio eriophyton were also tested in previous studies for their relaxant activity on the smooth muscle [3]. Others as the Turnera diffusa, a plant native from Mexico, have also showed to be natural products with vasodilatory effects [3].
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REFERENCES
[1] Erectogenic Effects of Clerodendron capitatum: Involvement of Phosphodiesterase Type-5 Inhibition. Siddig Ibrahim Abdelwahab, 1 * Abdelwahab Hassan Mohamed, 2 Osama Yousif Mohamed, 3 Mahjoub Oall, 2 Manal Mohamed Elhassan Taha, 4 Syam Mohan, 1 Mohamed Ibrahim Noordin, 1 Mohd Rais Mustafa, 1 and Khalid M. Alkharfy 5, 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia, 2Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Institute, National Centre for Research, Khartoum 1111, Sudan. 3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy.
[2] The Commonwealth forestry review, Volumes 26-27.
[3] Argentinian plant extracts with relaxant effect on the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum of guinea pig. Hnatyszyn O, Moscatelli V, Garcia J, Rondina R, Costa M, Arranz C, Balaszczuk A, Ferraro G, Coussio JD. Cátedra de Farmacognosia, IQUIMEFA (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
[4] Médicine et magie africaines, ou, Comment le noir se soigne-t-il? by Dominique Traoré.
[5] Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the aqueous fresh leaves extract ofClerodendrum capitatum in Wistar rats. Adeneye AA, Adeleke TI, Adeneye AK. Department of Pharmacology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, P.M.B. 21266, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
[6] Treating Erectile Dysfunction and Central Neurological Diseases with Oral Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors. Review of the Literature. Lombardi G, Nelli F, Celso M, Mencarini M, Del Popolo G. Neuro-urology Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
[7] Future prospects in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: focus on avanafil. Alwaal A, Al-Mannie R, Carrier S. Division of Urology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
[8] El Ghazali GEB, El Tohami MS, El Egami AAB. Medicinal Plants of the Sudan (Part 2). Medicinal Plants of the Eastern Nuba Mountains. Khartoum, Sudan: Khartoum University Press; 1997.
[9] Devi R, Sharma DK. Hypolipidemic effect of different extracts of Clerodendron colebrookianum Walp in normal and high-fat diet fed rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2004;90(1):63–68.
[10] Adeneye AA, Adeleke TI, Adeneye AK. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the aqueous fresh leaves extract of Clerodendrum capitatum in Wistar rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2008;116(1):7–10.
[11] Manoharan S, Kavitha K, Senthil N, Renju GL. Evaluation of anticarcinogenic effects of Clerodendron inerme on 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Singapore Medical Journal. 2006;47(12):1038–1043
[12] Liu S, Zhu H, Zhang S, Zhang X, Yu Q, Xuan L. Abietane diterpenoids from Clerodendrum bungei. Journal of Natural Products. 2008;71(5):755–759
[13] Gopal N, Sengottuvelu S. Hepatoprotective activity of Clerodendrum inerme against CCL induced hepatic injury in rats. Fitoterapia. 2008;79(1):24–26.
[14] Vidya SM, Krishna V, Manjunatha BK, Mankani KL, Ahmed M, Singh SDJ. Evaluation of hepatoprotective activity of Clerodendrum serratum L. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology. 2007;45(6):538–542
[15] Choi JH, Whang WK, Kim HJ. Studies on the anti-inflammatory effects of Clerodendron trichotomum Thunberg Leaves. Archives of Pharmacal Research. 2004;27 (2):189–193.
[16] Panthong A, Kanjanapothi D, Taesotikul T, Wongcome T, Reutrakul V. Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties of Clerodendrum petasites S. Moore. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2003;85(1):151–156.
[17] Chae S, Kang KA, Kim JS, Hyun JW, Kang SS. Trichotomoside: A new antioxidative phenylpropanoid glycoside from Clerodendron trichotomum. Chemistry and Biodiversity. 2006;3(1):41–48.
[18] Chae S, Kim JS, Kang KA, et al. Antioxidant activity of isoacteoside from Clerodendron trichotomum. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part A. 2005;68(5):389–400.
[19] Chae S, Kim JS, Kang KA, et al. Antioxidant activity of Jionoside D from Clerodendron trichotomum. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2004;27(10):1504–1508.
[20] Rani S, Ahamed N, Rajaram S, Saluja R, Thenmozhi S, Murugesan T. Anti-diarrhoeal evaluation of Clerodendrum phlomidis Linn. leaf extract in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1999;68(1–3):315–319.
[21] Narayanan N, Thirugnanasambantham P, Viswanathan S, Vijayasekaran V, Sukumar E. Antinociceptive, antiinflammatory and antipyretic effects of ethanol extract of Clerodendron serratum roots in experimental animals. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1999;65(3):237–241.
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