The complaint was filed Wednesday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit group that has challenged the advertised claims of companies such as KFC, Procter & Gamble and Smucker's. It contends that ads for Enzyte, a one-a-day pill made by Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, are "clearly deceptive."

Berkeley introduced Enzyte, an unregulated supplement made mostly of herbs and minerals, in 2001. Its TV pitchman, Smiling Bob, is frequently seen on ESPN and other channels.

The center says the ads violate the Federal Trade Commission Act prohibition against false or misleading advertising.

"Enzyte is more successful subtracting from the male wallet than it is adding to the male organ," said David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the center. "It's basically just an expensive placebo."

Berkeley said Wednesday it had not seen the complaint.

But the company defended its flagship product. "Medical professionals have established a correlation between reduced cardiovascular function and reduced erectile function," it said. "The industry experts that Berkeley has engaged to create and analyze its formulas have identified third-party studies and trial to support that ingredients in Enzyte help to improve circulatory function."

E-mail jmcnair@enquirer.com.