Kapikacchu offers a potent way to overcome sexual infertility among men

by Ayurveda Admin

Impaired fertility and its related issues have been addressed in all systems of medicine for ages. It remains a significant clinical problem even today. Increasing cases of male infertility have been reported in the last 50 years where erectile dysfunction and suboptimal sperm parameters are found as the commonest conditions.

Stress is a major contributor to male infertility. Other factors and conditions include ageing, sleep deprivation, depression, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and external factors like trauma or injury to the spinal cord, etc., as well as deficiency of certain cofactors and essential minerals.

Mucuna pruriens, also known as Kapikachhu in Sanskrit, is a well-known medicinal plant, the seed of which is commonly used for treating male infertility and associated conditions. In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, various formulations of Kapikacchu are explained in the Vajikarana (Aphrodisiac) context.

It has been observed that Kapikacchu has an action on multiple aspects of infertility like ageing, depression, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and Parkinson’s disease due to the presence of a complex mixture of alkaloids and its nutritional component, along with its antioxidant and adaptogenic properties.

Bioactive constituents present in the seed of Kapikachhu play an important role in boosting the sexual drive. The major contents of Kapikachhu stimulate the hypothalamus and forebrain leading to the synthesis of testosterone which is responsible for increased sexual drive and improved performance.

With ageing, there is a reduction in the antioxidant capacity of the tissues which has a deleterious effect on sperm count. Ethanolic extracts of Kapikachhu have been demonstrated to improve the antioxidant capacity of the tissues.

Nitric oxide (NO) secreted from endothelial cells is responsible for the initiation of penile erection. Ageing stimulates the production of Rho-kinase 2 (ROCK-II) which suppresses NO thus affecting erection. Kapikachhu is a known adaptogen, the aqueous extract of which showed good ROCK-II inhibition properties.

Different studies show that insufficient sleep, disrupted sleep or sleep disorders may affect sexual activities in many ways. Supplements having the active ingredients of Kapikachhu are seen to improve sleep quality without impacting resting heart rate or blood pressure, different blood parameters, and metabolic or lipid panel in otherwise healthy subjects.

The increase in platelets can adversely affect the blood flow through the small arteries of the genital tissues of men, affecting erection capability. Crude extract and the ethyl acetate fraction of Kapikachhu have been shown to significantly decrease platelet aggregation, thus improving erection capability.

Ejaculatory dysfunction is the most common cause of infertility in diabetic men. The ethanolic seed extract of Kapikachhu has been shown to significantly improve sperm parameters and the level of sexual hormones, thus improving sexual behaviour, libido, and potency.

Depression-induced symptoms like loss of interest, lowered self-esteem, irritability, inability to experience pleasure and social withdrawal produce difficulties in sexual relationships. Hydro-alcoholic extract of the seed of Kapikachhu has shown antidepressant action which can lead to improvement in sexual performance.

In obesity, the increased body mass increases the frequency of erectile dysfunction in a person. The ethanolic seed extract of Kapikachhu has been shown to induce significant improvement in hormonal levels and sperm parameters among the obese.

In patients with PD, sexual disorders usually begin after the onset of motor disorders. Aqueous extract of seeds of Kapikachhu improves motor behaviour among the PD affected by reducing oxidative stress.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes impairment of sexual function, fertility, erection, and ejaculation, which has an intense effect on quality of life. Ethanolic extract of Kapikachhu seed extract has shown improvement in sexual behaviour, sperm parameters, and hormonal levels in SCI cases.

Also, the levels of vitamins A, C, and E present in Kapikachhu contribute to the improvement in sperm concentration and motility among infertile men.

Infertility is a multifaceted disorder that involves a broad array of etiological factors. Although different treatment modalities have been tried to treat this condition, still it lacks specific therapies which can be achieved easily in an affordable way. Kapikachhu is one of the herbs having different useful components observed to have action on multiple aspects of infertility, thus opening a new horizon to combat this condition easily and cost-effectively.

(Inputs from Journal of Drug Research in Ayurvedic Sciences)