A SMALL South African shrub could be just the thing for spicing up your love life. The Zulus, who call the plant uBangalala, have chewed or boiled it for centuries as a cure for impotence. Now Marion Meyer’s team at the University of Pretoria has isolated the active ingredient and tested it against the world leader, Viagra.
Both compounds relaxed rabbit penis muscle—which would correspond to enhanced blood flow and hence an erection. Impressively, the plant substance was over 70 per cent as effective as its established rival (Phytochemistry, vol 59, p 739). The researchers have patented the active compound…
