Unsafe herbal sex enhancement supplements in Nigerian markets: a human risk assessment.

In this study, herbal sex enhancement supplements were bought from pharmaceutical shops in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and analyzed for heavy metals (Cr, As, Co, Hg, Cd, and Pb) contents using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The estimated daily metal intake (EDImetal), target hazard quotients (THQ), and total target hazard quotients (TTHQ) were determined. All the herbal sex enhancers used in this study contained heavy metals in these ranges: lead (0.032-0593), cobalt (0.025-0.075), cadmium (0.0011-0.048), and chromium (0.016-0.49) mg/kg. About 24.32% of the samples had TTHQ greater than 1. The EDImetal, THQ, and TTHQ of herbal sex enhancement supplements suggest that the use of some of these herbal sex enhancement supplements may not be risk-free after chronic exposure. Herbal sex enhancement supplements sold in Nigeria contain high levels of lead and cadmium. Since these metals are known to have male reproductive toxicity, these supplements may be adding to both the body burden of these metals and also implicated in the increasing incidence of male infertility in Nigeria. PMID: 31161544 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Source Type: research