Suharyani Sally, Amanda Bella, Angellee Jesselyn, William William, Hariyanto Timotius Ivan, I'tishom Reny
Andrology Study Program, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60132, Indonesia.
Halim Fertility Center, Stella Maris Women's and Children's Hospital, Medan, 20152, Indonesia.
Int J Impot Res. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1038/s41443-025-01086-7.
Tribulus terrestris is a medicinal herb purported to enhance reproductive function, particularly in instances of erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of administering Tribulus terrestris to patients with ED. We performed a systematic literature review in the Cochrane Library, Medline, Scopus, and Europe PMC databases utilizing particular keywords. The primary endpoint in this study is International Index of Erectile Function, that may be in abridged form (IIEF-5) or full form (IIEF-15). The outcomes of continuous variables were aggregated into the mean difference (MD) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) utilizing random-effects models. Eight studies were selected for inclusion. After the intervention with Tribulus terrestris, the IIEF-5 [MD 4.21, p < 0.00001] and IIEF-15 scores [MD 15.88, p = 0.0004] were markedly elevated compared to their pre-supplementation levels, as per our comprehensive analysis. Additionally, on both the IIEF-5 [MD 3.23 (95%CI 1.89, 4.58), p < 0.00001] and IIEF-15 [MD 14.44 (95%CI 5.75, 23.14), p = 0.001], Tribulus terrestris outperformed placebo. However, the two groups were not significantly different in terms of total testosterone levels. We observed no difference in the incidence of adverse events between Tribulus terrestris and placebo. Tribulus terrestris supplementation may offer benefits in improving erectile function among patients with ED with a relatively good safety profile.
刺蒺藜是一种据称能增强生殖功能的草药，尤其是在勃起功能障碍（ED）的情况下。本研究旨在评估对ED患者施用刺蒺藜的有效性和安全性。我们使用特定关键词在Cochrane图书馆、Medline、Scopus和欧洲PMC数据库中进行了系统的文献综述。本研究的主要终点是国际勃起功能指数，其可以是简略形式（IIEF-5）或完整形式（IIEF-15）。连续变量的结果采用随机效应模型汇总为平均差（MD）及相应的95%置信区间（95%CI）。八项研究被选入。根据我们的综合分析，在使用刺蒺藜进行干预后，IIEF-5[MD 4.21，p＜0.00001]和IIEF-15评分[MD 15.88，p = 0.0004]与补充前水平相比显著升高。此外，在IIEF-5[MD 3.23（95%CI 1.89，4.58），p＜0.00001]和IIEF-15[MD 14.44（95%CI 5.75，23.14），p = 0.001]方面，刺蒺藜均优于安慰剂。然而，两组在总睾酮水平方面无显著差异。我们观察到刺蒺藜组和安慰剂组之间不良事件的发生率没有差异。补充刺蒺藜可能对改善ED患者的勃起功能有益，且安全性相对较好。
