Communication · Volume 5, Issue 4 · pp. 309–314

Suppression of benign prostate hyperplasia by Kaempferia parviflora rhizome

Kazuya Murata¹, Hirotaka Hayashi², Shinichi Matsumura³, Hideaki Matsuda¹

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashiosaka, Osaka 577-8502
²Japan Tablet Corporation, 149-1 Mekawa, Makishima, Uji, Kyoto 611-0041
³Inabata Koryo Co., Ltd, 3-5-20 Tagawa, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka 532-0027, Japan

Abstract

Background Kaempferia parviflora rhizome is used as a folk medicine in Thailand for the treatment of various symptoms. In the present study, the inhibitory activities of extract from K. parviflora rhizome against 5a-reductase (5aR) were subjected. Furthermore, the effects of the extract from K. parviflorar hizome in benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) were studied using the model mice. Materials and Methods Preparations of extracts from the rhizomes of K. parviflora, Curcuma zedoaria and Zingiber officinale, and methoxyflavones isolated from K. parviflora was used for 5aR inhibition assay. The effects of K. parviflora extract on growth suppression for the prostates and seminal vesicles were performed based on the Hershberger’s method. The K. parviflora extract was administered to castrated mice for 14 days. Results K. parviflora extract showed more potent inhibitory activity on 5aR than C. zedoaria and Z. officinale extracts. The active principles were identified as 3,5,7,3’,4’-pentamethoxyflavone and 5,7,3’,4’-tetramethoxyflavone by activity guided fractionation. Furthermore, K. parviflora extract suppressed the weights of prostates and seminal vesicles in BPH model rats by daily administration for 14 days. Conclusion These results indicate that K. parviflora extract can be a promising agent for the treatment of BPH.

Keywords: 5a-reductase; benign prostate hyperplasia; Kaempferia parviflora; methoxyflavone

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