Sanrego a Viagra rival from South Sulawesi

By Jupriadi

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Viagra, which has just had the official green light to enter the Indonesian market, has a potential local competitor.

Amazingly, the indigenous Viagra alternative does not involve any sophisticated pharmaceutical technology to make. In fact it is derived directly from the Sanrego plant (lunasia amara blanco), which grows abundantly in eastern Indonesian forests.

Muchsin Darise, senior pharmaceutical researcher at Hasanuddin University in Ujungpandang, says that the research he has conducted since 1994 found that Sanrego contains a compound of alkaloid, sitosterol and glycoside which is an effective way to cure impotence and perk up a man's sexual appetite.

"Its effectiveness is extraordinary. I have tested it on a number of volunteers and all are impressed by the result," said Muchsin.

Sanrego is a wild plant that grows in the underbrush and the arid forests at an altitude of 100 to 600 meters above sea level. In Java, the plant is only found in certain regions in the central and eastern part of the island.

According to Muchsin, the plant can be easily recognized. It has a smooth stem and pointed heart-shaped leaves. Its flowers are full of fluffy white and chocolate shoots which emit a fragrant odor. Its most typical characteristic is its bitter taste.

Muchsin says that the effect of this plant was discovered unintentionally by a farmer in Sanrego village, Bone province, when he tied his horse in the underbrush where the plant grew in abundance.

The horse ate the plant and, to his amazement, it became sexually aggressive. It broke free and ran for a mare. The farmer observed that his horse was able to perform sex several times.

Impressed by his horse's performance, the farmer collected the remains of the plants that his horse ate. He boiled them and drank the water.

"Just like his horse, he obtained an extraordinary sexual power," Muchsin said.

The tale about the Sanrego farmer's sexual vigor thanks to the plant spread far and wide and reached Muchsin, a lecturer at Hasanuddin University's School of Pharmacy.

"As a token of appreciation for the farmer's discovery, we named the plant Sanrego, after the name of his village," he said.

Muchsin conducted a series of research experiments since 1994. He was assisted by a number of researchers conducting laboratory tests at Hasanuddin University. The plant's chemical compound called kemaitan or maitan in Javanese and pemaitan in Madurese was carefully studied. The research yielded positive results.

"We found a compound of alkaloid, sitosterol and glycoside in the Sanrego plant."

The result of Muchsin's initial research was confirmed by a team of experts conducting a subsequent study of the plant.

M. Hasbi, one of the researchers doing work on the chemical contents of n-butanol extract of the Sanrego, succeeded in purifying a compound containing C-OH and CH3 clusters. Philippine researcher Ludivina S. Padua found a compound of alkaloid, lunacridine, lunacine and lunanin in the stem.

"These are the chemical substances that I believe have an ability to boost man's sexual potency," he said.

Nevertheless, Muchsin is conducting further studies to prove that it is indeed these substances that boost the male sexual potency, although he personally feels "very sure" that the compounds in Sanrego contain the effective properties.

Alkaloid compound, for example, is known to be effective to improve the functioning of the urinal system, while the sitosterol compound forms a steroid hormone, and is contained in drugs aimed at boosting male sexual potency.

"Our hypothesis is that it is these substances which enhance men's virility," he said.

Although he is yet to complete his Sanrego study, his proposed theory convinces him that his initial findings are accurate. This is supported by the positive reports of volunteers on whom he made experiments.

"The wife of a volunteer thanked me for prescribing Sanrego to overcome his impotence," said Muchsin.

Rasyid, 32, an Ujungpandang resident who initially doubted the Sanrego wonder, has reported that the effectiveness of the medicine has convinced him.

"The medicine is truly effective. My wife was astonished about it," he said.

Sanrego is seen as a highly potential impotence cure. Its benefits are that it is cheap with no ill side-effect risks, while also being nonpoisonous, said Muchsin.

"This plant is safe to consume. Nobody should worry," he said.

In addition, Muchsin's research, which cost more than Rp 10 million, also found that Sanrego is not only effective in dealing with impotence but also cures stomachaches, diarrhea, snake bites, skin disorders and food poisoning.

"This plant can also slow down the growth of E-Coli bacteria, shigella bodyi and stafilokokus areus.

"It is logical to conclude that by retarding the growth of bacteria, this plant can be made into a medicine for diarrhea, skin disorders and food poisoning," he said.

As the popularity of Sanrego, nicknamed Viagra from Bone, rises, many curious foreign tourists are searching for the plant alongside the local residents.