Male Plus was developed exclusively for men and contains four powerful herbs from the Amazon rainforest including muira puama and catuaba—two unique rainforest plants that have been used for centuries in Brazil as male libido enhancers, male tonics, and supportive of male sexual organs, systems, and function.* To learn more about these wonderful rainforest plants, click on the plant names below to go to the Tropical Plant Database.

Ingredients: A blend of muira puama, catuaba, huanarpo macho, and sarsaparilla extracted in distilled water and 40% ethanol. To prepare this natural remedy yourself: use three parts muira puama, two parts catuaba and two parts huanarpo macho and one part sarsparilla. To make a small amount... "1 part" could be one tablespoon (you'd have 8 tablespoons of the blended herbal formula). For larger amounts, use "1 part" as one ounce or one cup or one pound. Combine all the herbs together well and prepare a herbal tincture using the instructions on the Methods of Preparing Herbal Remedies page. Don't try to put this formula in capsules or prepare a tea with it. It will not be effective. Most of the active chemicals in muira puama are not soluble in water and must be extracted in alcohol.

Suggested Use: Take 60 drops (2 ml) in water twice daily or as desired.

Contraindications: None reported.

Drug Interactions: None reported.

---

Third-Party Published Research*

Available third-party research on each ingredient in this formula can be found in the Tropical Plant Database (click on the ingredient names below) or on PubMed. A partial listing of published research on these ingredients is shown below:

Muira puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides)
In one French study among 262 male patients who experienced lack of sexual desire and the inability to attain or maintain an erection, 62% of the patients with loss of libido reported that muira puama "had a dynamic effect," and 51% of patients with erectile dysfunction felt that muira puama was beneficial.* The second study evaluated positive psychological benefits of muira puama in 100 men with male sexual weakness. In their final report, researchers indicated muira puama could "enhance libido [in 85% of the test group], increase the frequency of intercourse [in 100%] and improve the ability to maintain an erection [in 90%]."*
Rowland, D. L., et al. "A review of plant-derived and herbal approaches to the treatment of sexual dysfunctions." J. Sex. Marital Ther. 2003 May-Jun; 29(3): 185-205.
Waynberg, J., et al. "Effects of Herbal vX on libido and sexual activity in premenopausal and postmenopausal women." Adv. Ther. 2000 Sep-Oct; 17(5): 255-62.
Waynberg, J. "Male sexual asthenia—interest in a traditional plant-derived medication." Ethnopharmacology; 1995.
Waynberg, J. "Contributions to the clinical validation of the traditional use of Ptychopetalum guyanna." Presented at the First International Congress on Ethnopharmacology, Strasbourg, France, June 5-9, 1990.
Anti-stress effects of the "tonic" Ptychopetalum olacoides (Marapuama) in mice." Phytomedicine. 2010 Mar;17(3-4):248-53.
Piato, A., et al. "Antidepressant profile of Ptychopetalum olacoides Bentham (Marapuama) in mice." Phytother Res. 2009 Apr;23(4):519-24.
Piato, A., et al. "Effects of Marapuama in the chronic mild stress model: further indication of antidepressant properties." J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Jul 23;118(2):300-4.
Figueiro, M., et al. "The Amazonian herbal Marapuama attenuates cognitive impairment and neuroglial degeneration in a mouse Alzheimer model." Phytomedicine. 2011 Feb 15;18(4):327-33.
Figueiro, M., et al. "Acetylcholinesterase inhibition in cognition-relevant brain areas of mice treated with a nootropic Amazonian herbal (Marapuama)." Phytomedicine. 2010 Oct;17(12):956-62.
Tang, W., et al. "Novel NGF-potentiating diterpenoids from a Brazilian medicinal plant, Ptychopetalum olacoides." Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2009 Feb 1;19(3):882-6.
da Silva, A., et al. "MK801- and scopolamine-induced amnesias are reversed by an Amazonian herbal locally used as a "brain tonic"." Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 Jan;202(1-3):165-72.
Tang, W., et al. "Clerodane diterpenoids with NGF-potentiating activity from Ptychopetalum olacoides." J Nat Prod. 2008 Oct;71(10):1760-3.
da Silva, A., et al. "Serotonin receptors contribute to the promnesic effects of P. olacoides (Marapuama)." Physiol Behav. 2008 Sep 3;95(1-2):88-92.
Siqueira, I., et al. "Antioxidant activities of Ptychopetalum olacoides ("muirapuama") in mice brain." Phytomedicine. 2007 Nov;14(11):763-9.
da Silva, A. L., et al. "Promnesic effects of Ptychopetalum olacoides in aversive and non-aversive learning paradigms." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Feb; 109(3): 449-457.
da Silva, A. L., et al. "Memory retrieval improvement by Ptychopetalum olacoides in young and aging mice." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Dec; 95(2-3): 199-203.
Siqueira, I. R., et al. "Neuroprotective effects of Ptychopetalum olacoides Bentham (Olacaceae) on oxygen and glucose deprivation induced damage in rat hippocampal slices." Life Sci. 2004 Aug; 75(15): 1897-906.
Cherksey, B. D. "Method of preparing Muira puama extract and its use for decreasing body fat percentage and increasing lean muscle mass." United States Patent No. 5516516, 1996.

Catuaba (Erythroxylum catuaba)
According to Dr. Meira Penna, catuaba "functions as a stimulant of the nervous system, above all when one deals with functional impotence of the male genital organs. . . it is an innocent aphrodisiac, used without any ill effects at all."*
Kamden, J., et al. "Catuaba (Trichilia catigua) Prevents Against Oxidative Damage Induced by In Vitro Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rat Hippocampal Slices." Neurochem Res. 2012 Dec;37(12):2826-35.
Viana, A., et al. " Antinociceptive Activity of Trichilia catigua Hydroalcoholic Extract: New Evidence on Its Dopaminergic Effects" Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011; 2011:
Tabanca, N., et al. "Flavan-3-ol-phenylpropanoid conjugates from Anemopaegma arvense and their antioxidant activities." Planta Med. 2007 Aug; 73(10): 1107-11.
Vaz, Z. R., et al. "Analgesic effect of the herbal medicine Catuaba in thermal and chemical models of nociception in mice." Phytother. Res. 1997; 11(2): 101-6.
Barbosa, N. R., et al. "Inhibition of platelet phospholipase A2 activity by catuaba extract suggests anti-inflammatory properties." Phytother. Res. 2004; 18(11): 942-4.
Barbosa, N. R., et al. "Inhibition of platelet phospholipase A2 activity by catuaba extract suggests anti-inflammatory properties." Phytother. Res. 2004; 18(11): 942-4.
Campos, M. M., et al. "Antidepressant-like effects of Trichilia catigua (Catuaba) extract: evidence for dopaminergic-mediated mechanisms." Psychopharmacology. 2005; 182(1): 45-53

Huanarpo Macho (Jatropha macrantha)
Huanarpo macho is as popular in Peru as a male aphrodisiac as muira puama is in Brazil for the same purpose.* It is widely used in Peruvian herbal medicine systems to restore male sexual potency, for premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and as a male sexual tonic and aphrodisiac.*
Oshima, M., et al. "Effects of Lepidium meyenii Walp and Jatropha macrantha on blood levels of estradiol-17 beta, progesterone, testosterone and the rate of embryo implantation in mice." J. Vet. Med. Sci. 2003; 65(10): 1145-6.
Trinity, J., et al. "Endothelial dysfunction in erectile dysfunction: role of the endothelium in erectile physiology and disease." J. of Andrology. 2003; 24(90060)
Becker, A. J., et al. "Possible role of bradykinin and angiotensin II in the regulation of penile erection and detumescence." Urology. 2001c; 57: 193-198.
Desmarchelier, C., et al. "Total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) and total antioxidant reactivity (TAR) of medicinal plants used in Southwest Amazona (Bolivia and Peru)." Int. J. Pharmacog. 1997; 35(4): 288-296.
Sanabria, G. G. R. "Thesis: Aislamiento y identificacion de un alcaloide del extractro alcoholico de la Jatropha macrantha (Huanarpo macho) con propiedades afrodisiacas." Universidad Nacional de San Agustin, UNSA, Peru
Benavides A., et al. "Catechin derivatives in Jatropha macrantha stems: characterisation and LC/ESI/MS/MS quali-quantitative analysis." J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2006 Feb 24; 40(3): 639-47.

Sarsaparilla (Smilax officinalis, glabra)
Sarsaparilla is a rich source of phytosterols. It contains the plant steroids sarsasapogenin, smilagenin, sitosterol, stigmasterol, and pollinastanol; and the saponins sarsasaponin, smilasaponin, sarsaparilloside, and sitosterol glucoside, among others. The majority of sarsaparilla's pharmacological properties and actions have been attributed to these steroids and saponins. Sarsparilla is in this formula because many of these phytosterols aid in the gut-absorption and bioavailability of some of the other active chemicals in muira puama and catuaba which are harder to absorb.*
Zhang, Y., et al. "Role of glial cell derived neurotrophic factor in the protective effect of smilagenin on rat mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons damaged by MPP+." FEBS Lett. 2008 Mar 19;582(6):956-60.
Jeon, S. Y., et al. "Beta-secretase (BACE1)-inhibiting stilbenoids from Smilax Rhizoma." Phytomedicine. 2006 Nov 2;
Ban, J. Y., et al. "Catechin and epicatechin from Smilacis chinae rhizome protect cultured rat cortical neurons against amyloid beta protein (25-35)-induced neurotoxicity through inhibition of cytosolic calcium elevation." Life Sci. 2006 Nov; 79(24) :2251-9.
Ren, L. X., et al. "Antidepressant-like effects of sarsasapogenin from Anemarrhena asphodeloides BUNGE (Liliaceae)." Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2006 Nov; 29(11): 2304-6.
Ban, J. Y., et al. "Protection of amyloid beta protein (25-35)-induced neurotoxicity by methanol extract of Smilacis chinae rhizome in cultured rat cortical neurons." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Jun; 106(2): 230-7.
Barraclough , P., et al. "5-.beta.-sapogenin and pseudosapogenin derivatives and their use in the treatment of dementia." United States Patent 7,138,427: November 21, 2006.
Hu Y, et al. "A new approach to the pharmacological regulation of memory: Sarsasapogenin improves memory by elevating the low muscarinic acetylcholine receptor density in brains of memory-deficit rat models." Brain Res. 2005 Oct; 1060(1-2): 26-39.
Xia , Z. et al. Steroidal sapogenins and their derivatives for treating Alzheimer's disease." United States Patent 6,812,213; November 2, 2004.