American Dwarf Palm Serenoa repens

Lipophilic extracts of sabal fruit (Serenoa repens syn. Sabal seruulata) are used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (see Chapter 55). The hexane extract of the pulp and seed contains a complex mixture of free fatty acids and their esters, small quantities of phytosterols (such as [3-sitosterol), aliphatic alcohols, and polyprenic compounds. The efficacy of this extract was recently compared with that of the 5a-reductase inhibitor finasteride for 6 months, in a randomized, double-blind trial involving almost 1100 men with moderate BPH. Dwarf palm and finasteride reduced the International Prostate Symptom Score by 37 and 39% and increased urinary peak flow by 2.7 and 3.2 ml/sec, respectively. In contrast to finasteride, dwarf palm had little effect on prostate volume. 

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Numberless phytotherapeutic preparations for the treatment of BPH are on the market. However, the active ingredients and the mode of action remain unknown for most of them. Serenoa repens (also known as saw palmetto from the American dwarf palm) has been investigated in a number of scientific experiments and in chnical trials. It has been proposed that it inhibits the 5aR-2. Since Serenoa repens has no effect on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, the mode of action might certainly differ from the mode of action of finasteride or dutasteride [129]. 

American dwarf palm tree United States Serenoa repens... 

Serenoa repens (Bartram) Small (saw palmetto) is an herb that is most commonly used to treat problems related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The medicinal element of saw palmetto is taken from the partially dried ripe fruit of the American dwarf palm tree, which is indigenous to the coastal regions of the southern United States, from the Carolinas and Florida to California. BPH is a nearly universal result of the aging process in men. Saw palmetto is widely used in other countries for example, it is used in 50% of treatments for BPH in Italy and in 90% of such treatments in Germany. The active part of the plant is the sterols and free fatty acids found in the berry. It is unclear which components are the most active, and the mechanism of action is not fully understood. Some of the mechanisms proposed include anti-inflammatory activity, blocked conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and prostate epithelial involution similar to effects... 

Saw palmetto Serenoa repens) is a dwarf American palm native to the extreme southeastern United States. A lipidosterolic extract of its berries contains fatty acids (especially lauric acid), phytosterols, monocylglycerides, and polysaccharides. Fatty acids constitute more than 80% of the extract and are thought to be the most clinically effective component. It is widely used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Tlie berries themselves are less well absorbed than the extract and are therefore believed to be less effective. 

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