evaluation of acute toxicity, sexual and stamina performance in mice administered with ashwagandha (withania somnifera) suspension

Sexual dysfunction has been a rising concern particularly in men, mainly due to both physical and physiological factors. one solution is to use of aphrodisiac to enhance sexual desire and performance. ashwagandha is an herbal plant with potentials as an aphrodisiac. this study used 25 female mice to measure acute toxicity of ashwagandha suspension with observing mortality, clinical signs, body, and relative organ weight. acute toxicity assessment was conducted with dividing the mice into five groups, a negative control group, and groups administered with ashwaganda suspension with doses of 1 mg/kg bw (p1), 5 mg/kg bw (p2), 10 mg/kg bw (p3), and 15mg/kg bw (p4). 30 male mice and ten female mice were used to observe sexual activity of the male mice. the groups were divided into five groups, a control negative group, groups administered with ashwaganda suspension with doses of 1 mg/kg bw (p1), 2 mg/kg bw (p2), and 4 mg/kg bw (p3). administration for both assessments was done in 14 days, consecutively. sexual activity was observed through the frequency of intromission, mounting, coitus, stamina test through forced swimming method, as well as histological and immunohistochemistry staining to calculate the number of cells in the testicles. based on the results, ashwagandha suspension falls into practically non-toxic category and was proven to enhance sexual desire as the groups administered with the suspension, particularly p1 with 1 mg/kg bw administration showed higher frequency of sexual behaviors, longer duration of stamina, and higher number of leydig cells, hinting the increased testosterone production.