Pygeum africanum
(Pygeum)

Therapeutic Actions:

• Anti-inflammatory within the prostatic epithelium (pentacyclic triterpenes)
• Decreases intraprostatic cholesterol content and thus preventing accumulation of cholesterol in the prostatic tissue affected with either benign prostatic hypertrophy or prostate cancer
• Decreases LH and testosterone while increasing adrenal secretion of adrenal androgens and corticosteroids (n-docosanol)
• Decreases serum prolactin levels which leads to a decrease uptake of testosterone and increase synthesis of dihydrotestosterone in the prostate (n-docosanol)
• Improves capacity to achieve an erection
• Improves composition of seminal fluid, alkaline phosphatase and protein
• Increases prostatic secretions
• Prevents intraprostatic formation of prostaglandins (sterolic fraction)

Clinical Indications:

• BPH
• Impotence
• Male infertility
• Prostatitis

Contraindications:

• None known

Drug/Nutrient Interaction:

• Limited data

Chemical Constituents:

• Fatty acids
• Ferulic acid esters, bound to n-tetracosanol and n-docosanol
• Pentacyclic triterpenes:
  
  Crataegolic acids
  Oleanolic acid
  Ursolic acid
• Sterolic triterpenes:
  
  B-sitosterone
  B-sitosterol

Toxicity:

• No significant toxicity

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).