Pharmacological Effects of the Lipidosterolic Extract from Kigelia africana Fruits in Experimental Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Induced by Testosterone in Sprague Dawley Rats

BACKGROUND: The use of phytotherapics is very frequent in men with prostatic diseases, sexual disorders and infertility, and many associations are commercially available. Various vegetable products used as drugs or nutraceuticals are attributed to possess the capacity to exert benefic effects on the reproductive system, and most of these drugs have a rich and varied lipidosterolic fraction, primarily responsible for the effects related to the male genital sphere. Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. (Bignoniaceae) is a plant used in African folk medicine as a vegetal remedy for various diseases, including some disorders of the male reproductive system; however, its potential activities have not yet been fully explored. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the lipidosterolic hexane extract (LHE) from K. africana fruits, analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detection (GC×GC-MS/FID), can prevent or reverse benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats. METHODS: BPH was induced in experimental groups by daily subcutaneous injections of testosterone propionate (TP) for four weeks. β-sitosterol (β-s) was used as positive control. On day 28, the animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation after anesthesia. Prostates were excised, weighed, and used for macroscopic and histological studies. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in prostate were measured. RESULTS: The results showed that LHE significantly reduced the prostatic weight, prostatic index, prostatic levels of testosterone and DHT, and the histopathological alterations (including the epithelial thickness, stromal proliferation, and lumen area) induced by testosterone. These effects were superior to those demonstrated by β-s and appear to be due to a partial antiandrogenic activity of LHE. CONCLUSION: The results obtained showed that the LHE can prevent, and reverse testosterone induced prostatic hyperplasia, and support the traditional use of Kigelia africana in some disorders of the reproductive system.