In-silico and in-vivo evaluation of the aphrodisiac effect of Azanza garckeana fruit in male albino rats

Sexual dysfunction is a persistent problem affecting men, with erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation being the most common. The current treatment involving the use of PhPDE5 inhibitors is faced with some serious side effects. In Nigeria, there are claims that Azanza garckeana (AZ) fruit is helpful male sexual dysfunction. This study aims to evaluate this claim of the aphrodisiac effects of (AZ), using computational and animal models. The 3D structures of the protein target of interest (phosphodiesterase) and 21 phytocompounds already isolated and identified in the fruit were obtained from the Protein Data Bank and PubChem, respectively. Molecular docking simulation was performed using Autodock-vina. The fruits were extracted with ethanol using a Soxhlet apparatus at 60oC. The aphrodisiac effect was studied in-vivo using a rat model. Three phytocompounds showed good binding affinity for phosphodiesterase-5 and were also found to be a good target for the proteins of interest. The results from the in-vivo study demonstrated significant increases (p