Plant-derived bioactives in depression-related and antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction: a narrative review
Xue Liu, Zhirui Sun, Jia Gao, Chang-Yuan Fu, Zhaoxu Yang · 2026
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Description
Liu and colleagues review in 2026 whether plant-derived compounds can help sexual dysfunction tied to depression or caused by antidepressant drugs. The two problems are often confused, yet they need different care. The review sorts candidates by how direct their evidence is for drug-caused dysfunction.
Saffron shows the most coherent signal, backed by small randomized trials in men and women whose problems followed fluoxetine treatment. Maca shows a narrower signal in women on common antidepressants, mainly after menopause. Rose extract remains preliminary, and ginkgo evidence is inconsistent with interaction concerns. Ginseng, pomegranate, and dietary nitrates are plausible through blood vessel pathways but lack direct trials. The authors frame all of these as investigational add-ons, not proven treatments.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Xue Liu, Zhirui Sun, Jia Gao, Chang-Yuan Fu, Zhaoxu Yang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 56 KB |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |