Andrologia. 2016 Oct;48(8):894-907. doi: 10.1111/and.12680.
- 1Department of Zoology, Centre for Advanced Studies, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India. lohiyank@gmail.com.
- 2Department of Zoology, Centre for Advanced Studies, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India.
Abstract
India is a home for a large variety of plants with remarkable medicinal and pharmacological value. Traditional medicine in the form of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani has used many of these plants
since ancient days for treating and curing various ailments of the
body. When it comes to issues related to reproductive health, people
still hesitate to discuss and/or accept it openly and hence look for
alternate and natural remedies. The various tribal populations
distributed across different parts of the country still use these plant
extracts in various formulations for maintenance of good health. The
medical utilities of several of these plants
have been documented; however, there are many more, whose potential is
yet to be explored. This review discusses the role of various plants
grown in the Indian subcontinent that have been widely used in
maintaining various aspects of reproductive health in men such as infertility,
aphrodisiac, contraception, libido, sexually transmitted infections and
reproductive tract cancers as well as in treating chronic disorders.
© 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
KEYWORDS:
Indian medicinal plants; reproductive health
