Serenoa repens

Saw palmetto (cabbage palm, fan palm, scrub palm) Serenoa repens %mptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia Generally well-tolerated occasional gastrointestinal effects May interact with hormones such as oral contraceptive drugs and hormone replacement therapy. 

Plosker GL, Brogden RN. Serenoa repens (Permixon). A review of its pharmacology and therapeutic efficacy in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Drugs Aging 9(5) 379-395, 1996. 

Although widely used in Europe for BPH, phytotherapy with products such as saw palmetto berry (Serenoa repens), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica),... 

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) Prevents prostate disease... 

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]. 

For a review of the efficacy of Serenoa repens the results in 3139 men from 21 randomized trials lasting 4-48 weeks were assessed (see Wilt et al., 2002). The reviewers conclusions were ... 

The evidence suggests that Serenoa repens improves urologic symptoms and flow measures compared with placebo. Serenoa repens produced similar improvement in urinary symptoms and flow compared to finasteride and is associated with fewer adverse treatment events. The long-term effectiveness, safety and ability to prevent BPH complications are not known. 

Wilt T, Ishani A, Stark G, Mac Donald R. Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2002. 

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. 

Hormonal effects. A commercial product, PC-SPES, composed of Chrysantemum morifolium, Ganoderma lucidum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Isatis indigotica, Panax pseudoginseng, Rabdosia rubescens, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Serenoa repens was tested in hormone-insensitive cell lines LNCAP-BCL-2, PC-3, and DU-145 at variable concentrations. LNCAP, the only hormone-sensitive cell line, was affected by the lowest dose of PC-SPES tested . 

Rectal bioavailability and pharmacokinetics. Serenoa repens extract, administered rectally to 12 healthy male volunteers at a dose of 640 mg/person, produced the mean maximum concentration in plasma of nearly 2.60 (Xg/mL approx 3 hours after administration, with mean value for the area under the curve AUC 10 (Xg/hour/mL. The bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile were similar to those observed after oral administration. T j occurred approx 1 hour later, and plasma concentration 8 hours after drug administration was still quantified. The drug tolerability was good, and no adverse effect was observed ". Serenoa repens capsules, administered orally at a dose of 160 mg four times daily or rectally 640 mg daily for 30 days to 60 patients with BPH, produced no significant differences in diminu-... 

Testosterone effects. A liposterolic extract of Serenoa repens was administered to 20 men aged 50 to 75 years with BPH at a dose of 160 mg twice daily for 30 days. The extract produced no changes in plasma levels of T, FSH, and luteinizing hormone. The results indicated that Serenoa extract, which is useful in the treatment of BPH, does not act via systemic changes of hormone levels . 

Gambardella, and G. Sepe. Efficacy of pretreatment with Serenoa repens on bleeding associated with transurethral resection of prostate. Minerva Urol Nefrol 2004 56(1) 73-78. 

SR003 Boyle, P., C. Robertson, F. Lowe, and C. Roehrbom. Updated meta-analysis of clinical trials of Serenoa repens extract in the treatment of symptomatic... 

Devane, et al. Multiple doses of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) did not alter cytochrome P450 2D6 and 3A4 activity in normal volunteers. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2003 74(6) 536-542. 

SR007 Willetts, K. E., M. S. Clements, S. Champion, S. Ehsman, andj. A. Eden. Serenoa repens extract for benign prostate hyperplasia a randomized controlled trial. BJU Int 2003 92(3) 267-270. 

SR008 Pytel, Y. A., A. Vinarov, N. Lopatkin, A. Sivkov, L. Gorilovsky, and J. P. Raynaud. Long-term clinical and biologic effects of the lipidosterolic extract of Serenoa repens in patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. Adv Ther 2002 19(6) 297-306. 

SR009 Giannakopoulos, X., D. Baltogiannis, D. Giannakis, et al. The lipidosterolic extract of Serenoa repens in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia a comparison of two dosage regimens. Adv Ther 2002 19(6) 285-296. 

Kuzmin, and R. R. Amdiy. Early urodynamic effects of the lipido-ste-rolic extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon ) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2000 3(3) 195-199. 

Billebaud, B. Gattegno, R. Muszynski, G. Loeb, and the OCOS Groupe de I essai. Tamsulosin with or without Serenoa repens in benign prostatic hyperplasia the OCOS trial. Prog Urol 2002 12(3) 395-403. 

SR017 Mitropoulos, D., A. Kyroudi A, A. Zervas, et al. In vivo effect of the lipido-sterolic extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon) on mast cell accumulation and glandular epithelium trophism in the rat prostate. World J Urol 2002 19(6) 457-461. 

Lokshin, and L. G. Spivak. Five-year experience in treating patients with prostatic hyperplasia patients with permixone (Serenoa repens Pierre Fabre Medicament). Urologia 2002 (1) 23-25. 

SR021 Vacher, P., N. Prevarskaya, R. Skryma, M. C. Audy, A. M. Vacher, M. F. Odessa, and B. Dufy. The lipidosterolic extract from Serenoa repens interferes with prolactin receptor signal transduction. J Biomed Sci 1995 2(4) 357-365. 

SR022 Iguchi K., N. Okumura, S. Usui, H. Sajiki, K. Hirota, and K. Hirano. Myristoleic acid, a cytotoxic component in the extract from Serenoa repens, induces apoptosis and necrosis in human prostatic LNCaP cells. Prostate 2001 47(1) 59-65. 

SR023 Ishii, K., S. Usui, Y. Sugimura, H. Yamamoto, K. Yoshikawa, and K. Hiran. Extract from Serenoa repens suppresses the invasion activity of human urological cancer cells by inhibiting urokinase-type plasminogen activator. Biol Pharm Bull 2001 24(2) 188-190. 

SR024 Vacherot, F., M. Azzouz, S. Gil-Diez-De-Medina, et al. Induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation by the lipido-sterolic extract of Serenoa repens (LSESr, Permixon) in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostate 2000 45(3) 259-266. 

Mahaffey, et al. Effects of an extract of Serenoa repens on dogs with hyperplasia of the prostate gland. Amer J Vet Res 2000 61(8) 880-885. 

---