Comparison of the potency of different brands of Serenoa repens extract on 5alpha-reductase types I and II in prostatic co-cultured epithelial and fibroblast cells.
BACKGROUND
Serenoa repens extract is the phytotherapeutic agent most frequently used for the treatment of the urological symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. There are many extracts in the market and each manufacturer uses different extraction processes; for this reason, it's possible that one product is not equivalent to another. The aim of this study was to compare the activity of different extracts of Serenoa repens marketed in Italy.


METHODS
The following extracts were tested on 10 day co-cultured epithelial and fibroblast cells by a 5alpha-reductase activity assay: Permixon, Saba, Serpens, Idiprost, Prostamev, Profluss and Prostil. In order to assess the variability in Serenoa repens products, 2 different batches for each brand were evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
All extracts tested, albeit variably, are able to inhibit both isoforms of 5alpha-reductase. However, the potency of the extracts appears to be very different, as well as the potencies of 2 different batches of the same extract. This is probably due to qualitative and quantitative differences in the active ingredients. So, the product of each company must be tested to evaluate the clinical efficacy and bioactivity.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. francesco.scaglione@unimi.it
Francesco
F
Scaglione
Valeria
V
Lucini
Marilou
M
Pannacci
Alessia
A
Caronno
Claude
C
Leone
D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase; D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy; D028024:Serenoa / Q000737:chemistry*; D013810:Therapeutic Equivalency
D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase; C476566:steroid-5alpha-reductase type 1; C476567:steroid-5alpha-reductase type 2