title: Phytotherapeutic Agents for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: An Overview.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the most common condition in aging men is the non cancerous proliferation of epithelial and stromal cells of the prostate gland and is associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) such as frequency hesitancy urgency etc. Sources of symptoms in patient with BPH appear to be both static and dynamic component. Better understanding of the prostate physiology, function and pathogenesis has lead to the development of promising agents, useful in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms in men.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Treatment of clinical BPH aims to improve symptoms, prevent urinary tract infections, avoid renal insult, relief obstruction and improve bladder emptying. Many herbal formulations, or plant derived non-nutritive compounds with protective or disease preventive properties are getting popularized worldwide for the management of BPH, especially due to long term side effects of pharmacological treatment and risk of mortality associated with surgical procedures. Phytotherapeutic preparations are plant extracts with different components obtained by different extraction procedures. Numerous mechanisms of action have been postulated for mono and combination plant extracts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article give a brief account of rationale and efficacy of various existing phytotherapeutic agents in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia, including the herbs which hold the potential promise are also mentioned, although much research is still required.
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh -160014. India.
authors.forename: Meenakshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh -160014. India.
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chadha
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160014. India.
authors.forename: Neelima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dhingra
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Benign prostatic hyperplasia management; dihydrotestosterone; enlarged prostate; herbal remedies; phytotherapy; testosterone