Almond-citrus peel enriched short bread modulates sexual behaviour and enzymes linked with erectle dysfunction in hypertensive rats

Almond nut (Terminalia catappa) and orange peel (Citrus sinensis) are commonly used as nutraceuticals in folklore for the treatment of degenerative diseases. Erectile dysfunction is a pathology with various predisposing factors such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. This study aim to evaluate the effect of almond-citrus peel enriched shortbread on sexual function and biochemical parameters linked with erectile dysfunction in high fat diet (HFD)/Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME)- induced male rats. The experimental rats were distributed into eight groups and fed with shortbread enriched with varying inclusions of almond and citrus peel. Sexual behavioral assessments (mounting number, mounting latency, intromission number and intromission latency) were evaluated. Thereafter, the activities of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5),arginase, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant indices and nitric oxide (NO) level were evaluated. The result showed significant elevation in mounting latency, intromission latency, MDA level as well as arginase and PDE-5 activities in the penile tissue of the untreated rats. Conversely, the mounting number, intromission number, antioxidant status and NO level were significantly decreased in the untreated groups. Notably, the treatment with almond-citrus peel enriched shortbread and the individual effect of almond (50%) and citrus peel (0.2%) all reversed these trends in the hypertensive rats. However, treatment with the almond (50%)-citrus peel (0.2%) shortbread reinstated the altered sexual behaviour in male rats, enhanced antioxidant status and suppressedphosphodiesterase-5 and arginase activities in HFD/l-NAME-induced rats. The results suggest that almond and citrus peel offer potentials as therapeutic agent in the prevention and management of erectile dysfunction associated with hypertension. Intriguingly, the almond (50%)-citrus (0.2%) formulated shortbread had the best antioxidative and erectogenic effects.However, further in vivo experiments and clinical trials are recommended.