ZOOTHERAPEUTIC SPECIES EMPLOYED AS APHRODISIACS: AN ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL REVIEW

The use of animal substances as part of traditional medicine and in particular Zootherapy has been a long-standing practice of using natural products to improve sexual performance and cure reproductive disease. This review has shown that there is ethnopharmacological evidence of the use of different animal species as aphrodisiacs in different cultures. It discusses their possible mechanisms of action, including modulation of the central nervous system, stimulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, and nitric oxide–mediated pathways. Although widely used traditionally there is a lack of scientific validation, safety and standardization. Also, the paper discusses the moral and conservation issues of wildlife exploitation and emphasizes the necessity of sustainable practices and additional research to develop therapeutic methods which are safe.