Traditional Medicine, Corpus Cavernosum and Hydrogen Sulphide

Extract

Dear Editor,

The interest surrounding hydrogen sulphide as a mediator of corpus cavernosum smooth-muscle relaxation was triggered by a pilot study by Srilatha et al. [1] and resulted in the recent experimental recognition of hydrogen sulphide as a mediator of such relaxation in humans [2]. These articles not only offer new insights about the molecular mechanisms underlying penile erection (thus contributing to a more exhaustive understanding of vascular physiology) but also give a reliable explanation of the use of onions (Allium cepa) for the care of erectile dysfunction in traditional medicine.

Since antiquity, onions have been used as a popular, natural remedy for male impotence. The roman poet Martial (I-II century A.D.) in his work “Xenia” (a part of his “Epigrams” book XIII, 34) states “cum sit anus coniux et sint tibi mortua membra/nihil aliud bulbis quam satur esse potes,” i.e., “when your wife is old and your penis is dead, the only thing to do is to stuff yourself of onions”. In the book The Perfumed Garden of the Shaykh Nefwazy (XVI century AD) onion ingestion allows Abou el-Heiloukh to achieve astonishing sexual performances. Onion use as a natural remedy for impotence has been reported in medieval Persia [3] and, most recently, on the internet: many sites claim onions as a natural and effective remedy against male impotence.