Muira Puama

Muira Puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth.) also known as marapuama, miratã, potency wood, miruatan, composita, Raiz del macho or Dulacia Inopiflora root, is a typical plant from the Amazon rainforest belonging to the Olacaceae family that is used among local communities for several central nervous system related problems to treat “nerve weaknesses” ¹. The Muira Puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth.) roots and occasionally the bark roots are the main medicinal parts used and are prepared as an alcoholic infusion, tinctures, and tea ². Phytochemical studies revealed that the Muira Puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth.) roots contain tannins, flavonoids, and several terpenoids, while the presence of alkaloids is not clear. It is unclear which, if any, chemicals in muira puma have effects on the body. Most studies used ethanolic or hydroalcoholic extracts prepared with the roots of the plant. Several Muira Puama based products are easily found in the market in different formulations such as powders, capsules, tinctures, and extracts mixture. For these formulations, different forms of the Ptychopetalum olacoides plant preparation are used ³. Roots are usually prepared in alcoholic infusion, but other formulations have also been employed (e.g., mixture of extracts, solutions, pills) ⁴. Recent research indicate that Muira Puama has promising potential for treating central nervous system disorders, acting as an antidepressant, an anti-stress, a neuroprotective agent, and improving cognition. The native communities have used the Muira Puama roots and barks and ethanolic Muira Puama extract as a treatment for depression, sexual dysfunction, aphrodisiac, antitremor, appetite modulator and as a “nerve tonic” ⁵. However, clinical studies are still needed to confirm Muira Puama effects observed in pre-clinical studies.

Muirapuama root bark produces a volatile oil containing alpha-pinene, alpha-humulene, beta-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, camphene, and camphor ⁶. Fatty acids such as uncosanoic, tricosanoic, and pentacosanoic acids account for up to 20% of the total lipophilic components of the Muira Puama plant ⁷. Other compounds detected in Muira Puama are fatty acid esters of sterols, coumarin, free fatty acids, and free sterol; a small quantity of beta-sitosterol was also detected ⁸. Based on ethnopharmacological data, it can be hypothesized that Muira Puama interacts with the dopaminergic system, increasing libido; the noradrenergic system, inducing antidepressant effects; and the serotonergic system, modulating appetite ⁶. The antinociceptive effects of the plant were investigated in thermal and chemical models of nociception in mice. Data showed that the maximal effect was reached 6 hours after administration of a low dose of Muira Puama extract and produces significant and long-lasting (up 12 hours) effects in both chemical and thermal tests of nociception in mice. In addition, higher doses, either acutely or subchronically (15 days), did not cause a worsening of adverse effects ⁹. A few neurological side effects were reported in preclinical studies, including impairment of both short- and long-term memory and reduced locomotion ¹⁰, ¹¹.

Muira Puama health benefits

Muira Puama has insufficient evidence for:

• Athletic performance.
• Brain and nerve disorders.
• Erectile dysfunction (ED).
• Indigestion (dyspepsia).
• Joint pain.
• Loss of appetite.
• Menstrual disorders.
• Sexual problems that prevent satisfaction during sexual activity.
• Other conditions.

Muira Puama tree has a plethora of uses among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, including the following: adaptogen (substance considered to help the body adapt to stress), alopecia (applied topically for hair loss), anorexia, antinociceptive (reduce or relieve pain), antioxidant, aphrodisiac (stimulates sexual desire), ataxia (impaired balance or coordination), beri beri (vitamin B1 (thiamin) deficiency disease), debility, digestive problems, dysentery, fatigue, impotence, neurasthenia, nerve tonic, rheumatism, stimulant, tonic (adding bark decoction to a bath), paralysis, and tremors ¹².

Muira puama is an important ingredient of “catuama”, a medicinal poly-herbal combination used in South America, also composed of guarana (Paullinia cupana), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and Trichilia catigua ¹².

One of the main active ingredients in muira puama is an alkaloid known as muirapuamine ¹³.

Ferrini et al. ¹⁴ assessed whether the daily oral administration, for a period of eight weeks, of a combination of ginger, guarana, muira puama, and L-citrulline could effectively delay the ongoing corporal fibrosis, smooth muscle cell apoptosis (programmed cell death) and cavernosal veno-occlusive dysfunction present in middle aged rats similar to that seen with the prescription medication tadalafil. The results of the study showed that the orally delivered herbal combination of ginger, guarana, muira puama plus L-citrulline appeared to be as effective as daily therapy with the medication in either slowing down or reversing the onset of the histological and functional characteristics of erectile dysfunction related to aging in laboratory rats ¹⁴.

Clinical evidence is lacking to support the effects of muira pauma on sexual dysfunction ¹⁵. An open-label, uncontrolled clinical study suggested improvement upon administration of muira pauma in men with a lack of sexual desire and the inability to attain or maintain an erection ¹⁶. A study conducted by the same researchers among women with sexual dysfunction using a combination of muira puama and ginkgo, also using an open-label design with no comparator, reported improved libido ¹⁷.

A study assessed the in vitro (test tube study) antioxidant activities of plants from the Brazilian Amazon (Byrsonima japurensis, Calycophyllum spruceanum, Maytenus guyanensis, Passiflora nitida and muira puama Ptychopetalum olacoides). The results supported the traditional use for these plants against inflammation, due to their significant antioxidant (free radical scavenging) action ¹⁸.

Oliveira et al. ¹⁹ conducted an in vitro (test tube) study using the aqueous extracts of various traditional medicinal plants from Amazonia, searching for antibacterial activity against both human as well as animal pathogenic microbes. The extracts obtained from muira puama and Pentaclethra macroloba inhibited the growth of the bacteria Klebsiella ozaenae and Acinetobacter baumannii ¹⁹.

Figueiró, et al. ²⁰ evaluated the effects of an ethanol extract obtained from muira puama and identified promnesic (improving memory), anti-amnesic and acetyl-cholinesterase inhibition properties in laboratory animals (mice) treated orally with the extract. The results of the studies showed that muira puama induces acetyl-cholinesterase inhibition in brain areas relevant to cognition ²¹, ²⁰. For this reason, the authors concluded that muira puama extracts could be a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in humans ²⁰.

A study undertaken with mice showed that an extract from muira puama had a stimulating (tonic) effect ²². This plant possesses antioxidant and neuroprotective properties as well as health benefits associated with stressful situations. For this reason, this plant could possess adaptogen-like characteristics and could be useful for the treatment of stress ²².

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of muira puama for these uses.

Muira Puama dosage

Research reveals no quality clinical trials to provide guidance on suitable Muira Puama dosages. A toxicity study of the combination preparation Catuama in healthy volunteers used a 25 mL dose (containing 0.875 mL Muira Puama) twice daily for 28 days ²³.

Muira Puama side effects

Before you decide to take any medicinal herb or herbal supplement, be sure to consult with your health care professional first. Avoid self-diagnosis and self-medication: Always be on the safe side. If you experience erectile dysfunction, consult first with a health care professional before taking any dietary or nutraceutical supplements.

Research regarding adverse reactions to muira puama is lacking.

Animal study on 66 CF1 strain male adult albino mice that were administered with 50 or 100 mg/kg of standardized ethanolic Muira Puama extract and 100–800 mg/kg once a day for 21 weeks showed a few neurological side effects were reported, including impairment of both short- and long-term memory and reduced locomotion ¹⁰, ¹¹.

The safety of using muira puama during pregnancy and lactation has not been established ²⁴.

When taken by mouth: Muira puama is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth at a dose of 500-1050 mg daily for up to 1 month. There isn’t enough reliable information to know if muira puama is safe to use for more than 1 month or what the side effects might be.

When applied to the skin: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if muira puama is safe or what the side effects might be.

References

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