Plandai firms up plans to develop horny goat weed extract

• Plandai Biotechnology (OTCPK:PLPL -3%) plans to develop and test an all-natural product for erectile dysfunction (ED). The compound, called icariin, is an extract from the plant Epimedium, also called the horny goat weed. Icariin is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra.
• The company has begun cultivating and cloning epimedium and expects to begin testing on a potential ED product in mid-2015. Icariin is less potent than sildenafil, but Plandai believes its extraction process will enhance epimedium's absorption and retention in the bloodstream to a sufficient degree that it will be a viable all-natural ED treatment alternative.
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