THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS IN THE TREATMENT OF FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35919/rbsh.v37.1359Keywords:
Women's health, Sexual health, Sexuality/ PhytochemistryAbstract
Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a multifactorial problem that can affect quality of life. Despite the already consolidated pharmacological treatment options, alternatives with fewer side effects are being sought. This integrative review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Tribulus terrestris in the treatment of FSD. The articles were collected between October 2022 and April 2023 in the BVS and PubMed databases, using the descriptors "Tribulus terrestris" and "Sexual Dysfuntion", with the Boolean “AND”. The sexual function assessment instruments used by the articles were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Sexual Quotient Female Version (SQ-F) and the Female Intervention Effectiveness Index (FIEI). Hormone levels of total, free and bioavailable testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were also measured. T. terrestris has been shown to be an effective option in the treatment of FSD with few side effects. When compared to placebo, the domains with the greatest significant differences were: satisfaction (FSFI), sexual desire and interest, arousal and harmony with the partner, comfort and foreplay (SQ-F). Interpretation of the results was limited by the lack of evaluation of subjective arousal parameters and by the heterogeneity of the studies in terms of methodology, population, dose/posology, treatment duration and evaluation instruments.
Downloads
References
ABDO, C. Elaboração e validação do quociente sexual, versão feminina: uma escala para avaliar a função sexual da mulher. Revista Brasileira de Medicina, v. 63, n. 9, p. 477–482, 2006. Disponível em: https://repositorio.usp.br/item/001549560. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
ADAIKAN, P. G.; GAUTHAMAN, K.; PRASAD, R. N. V. History of herbal medicines with an insight on the pharmacological properties ofTribulus terrestris. The Aging Male, v. 4, n. 3, p. 163–169, jan. 2001. Dis-ponível em: https://doi.org/10.1080/tam.4.3.163.169. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
AKHTARI, E. et al. Tribulus terrestris for treatment of sexual dysfunction in women: randomized dou-ble-blind placebo - controlled study. DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, v. 22, n. 1, 2014. Dispo-nível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2008-2231-22-40. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
ALVES, L. et al. Saúde sexual da mulher: como abordar a disfunção sexual feminina no consultório gine-cológico Editores. [s.l: s.n.]. Disponível em: https://www.febrasgo.org.br/media/k2/attachments/Livro_saude_sexualZ-ZwebZ2.pdf. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
BERMAN, L. et al. The Use of the Female Intervention Efficacy Index (FIEI) as an Immediate Outcome Measure of Medical Intervention to Treat Female Sexual Dysfunction. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, v. 27, n. 5, p. 427–433, 1 out. 2001. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/713846821. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
GAMA, C. R. et al. Clinical Assessment of Tribulus terrestris Extract in the Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction. Clinical Medicine Insights. Women’s Health, v. 7, p. 45–50, 22 dez. 2014. Disponível em: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4275110/. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
GHANBARI, A. et al. Tribulus terrestris and female reproductive system health: A comprehensive re-view. Phytomedicine, v. 84, p. 153462, abr. 2021. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153462. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
HANDY, A. B.; FREIHART, B. K.; MESTON, C. M. The Relationship between Subjective and Physiological Sexual Arousal in Women with and without Arousal Concerns. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, v. 46, n. 5, p. 447–459, 4 maio 2020. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0092623x.2020.1758859. Aces-so em: 15 jun. 2024.
HANDY, A. B.; STANTON, A. M.; MESTON, C. M. Understanding Women’s Subjective Sexual Arousal With-in the Laboratory: Definition, Measurement, and Manipulation. Sexual Medicine Reviews, v. 6, n. 2, p. 201–216, abr. 2018. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sxmr.2017.11.001. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics. Disponível em: https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#160690465. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
LIMA, S. M. R. R. et al. Disfunções sexuais femininas: questionários utilizados para avaliação inici-al. Arquivos Médicos dos Hospitais e da Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, p. 1–6, 2010. Disponível em: https://arquivosmedicos.fcmsantacasasp.edu.br/index.php/AMSCSP/article/view/303. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
NEYCHEV, V.; MITEV, V. Pro-sexual and androgen enhancing effects of Tribulus terrestris L.: Fact or Fic-tion. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, v. 179, p. 345–355, fev. 2016. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.12.055. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
PARISH, S. J. et al. The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health Process of Care for the Identification of Sexual Concerns and Problems in Women. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, v. 94, n. 5, p. 842–856, maio 2019. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.01.009. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
POSTIGO, S. et al. Assessment of the Effects of Tribulus Terrestris on Sexual Function of Menopausal Women. Revista Brasileira De Ginecologia E Obstetricia: Revista Da Federacao Brasileira Das Sociedades De Ginecologia E Obstetricia, v. 38, n. 3, p. 140–146, 1 mar. 2016. Disponível em: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26902700/. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
ROSEN, R. et al. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): a multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function. Journal of sex & marital therapy, v. 26, n. 2, p. 191–208, 2000. Disponível em: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10782451/. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
SHIFREN, J. L. et al. Sexual Problems and Distress in United States Women. Obstetrics & Gynecology, v. 112, n. 5, p. 970–978, nov. 2008. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/aog.0b013e3181898cdb. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
SOUZA, K. Z. D.; VALE, F. B. C.; GEBER, S. Efficacy of Tribulus terrestris for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in postmenopausal women. Menopause, v. 23, n. 11, p. 1252–1256, nov. 2016. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000000766. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
VALE, F. B. C. et al. Effect of Tribulus Terrestris in the Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction and Clit-oral Vascularization. Results of a Randomized Study Comparing Two Different Dosage Regimes. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, v. 47, n. 7, p. 696–706, 18 jun. 2021. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0092623x.2021.1938764. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
VALE, F. B. C. et al. Efficacy of Tribulus Terrestris for the treatment of premenopausal women with hy-poactive sexual desire disorder: a randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Gynecological Endocrinology: The Official Journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology, v. 34, n. 5, p. 442–445, 27 novembro 2017. Disponível em: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29172782/. Aces-so em: 15 jun. 2024.
WEINBERGER, J. M. et al. Female Sexual Dysfunction: A Systematic Review of Outcomes Across Various Treatment Modalities. Sexual Medicine Reviews, fev. 2018. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sxmr.2017.12.004. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
ZHU, W. et al. A review of traditional pharmacological uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activ-ities of Tribulus terrestris. Chemistry Central Journal, v. 11, n. 1, 11 jul. 2017. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13065-017-0289-x. Acesso em: 15 jun. 2024.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Eric Yamaguchi Izaki, Heloísa Pyrich Cavalheiro, Marina Beduschi Santos, Juliane Centeno Müller
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
