Effects ofEurycoma longifoliaon Testosterone Level and Bone Structure in an Aged Orchidectomised Rat Model (original) (raw)
Related papers
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012
Background: Eurycoma longifolia (EL) has been shown recently to protect against bone calcium loss in orchidectomised rats, the model for androgen-deficient osteoporosis. The mechanism behind this is unclear but it may be related to its ability to elevate testosterone levels or it may directly affect bone remodeling. The aim of this study is to determine the mechanism involved by investigating the effects of EL extract on serum testosterone levels, bone biomarkers, biomechanical strength and gene expression of Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor (MCSF) in orchidectomised rats.
Journal of X-ray science and technology, 2018
Eurycoma longifolia (EL) is a well-known aphrodisiac herb for men. Recently, the crude extract of EL was reported to possess anti-osteoporotic activities. This study aims to determine the bone protective effects of the standardized quassinoid-rich EL extract in testosterone-deficient rat model. Ninety-six intact male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into baseline, sham, orchidectomized, and chemically castrated groups. Chemical castration was performed via subcutaneous injection of degarelix at 2 mg/kg. The orchidectomized and degarelix-induced rats were administered with vehicle, intramuscularly injected with testosterone once a week, or orally supplemented with EL extract at doses of 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg daily for 10 weeks. Bone mass, microarchitecture and strength were analyzed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), micro-CT and three-point bending test. Whole body bone mineral density and femoral bone mineral content significantly increased in testosterone gro...
Nutrients
Male osteoporosis is associated with higher rates of disability and mortality. Hence the search for suitable intervention and treatment to prevent the degeneration of skeletal health in men is necessary. Eurycoma longifolia (EL), a traditional plant with aphrodisiac potential may be used to treat and prevent male osteoporosis. The skeletal protective effect of quassinoid-rich EL extract, which has a high content of eurycomanone, has not been studied. This study aimed to determine whether EL could prevent skeletal deteriorations in gonadal hormone-deficient male rats. Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to baseline, sham-operated (Sham), orchidectomised or chemically castrated groups. Chemical castration was achieved via subcutaneous injection of degarelix at 2 mg/kg. The orchidectomised and degarelix-castrated rats were then divided into negative control groups (ORX, DGX), testosterone-treated groups (intramuscular injection at 7 mg/kg weekly) (ORX + TES, DGX + TES), and EL-supplemented groups receiving daily oral gavages at doses of 25 mg/kg (ORX + EL25, DGX + EL25), 50 mg/kg (ORX + EL50, DGX + EL50), and 100 mg/kg (ORX + EL100, DGX + EL100). Following 10 weeks of treatment, the rats were euthanized and their blood and femora were collected. Bone biochemical markers, serum testosterone, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa β-ligand (RANKL) levels and histomorphometric indices were evaluated. Quassinoid-rich EL supplementation was found to reduce degenerative changes of trabecular structure by improving bone volume, trabecular number, and separation. A reduction in the percentage of osteoclast and increase in percentage of osteoblast on bone surface were also seen with EL supplementation. Dynamic histomorphometric analysis showed that the single-labeled surface was significantly decreased while the double-labeled surface was significantly increased with EL supplementations. There was a marginal but significant increase in serum testosterone levels in the ORX + EL25, DGX + EL50, and DGX + EL100 groups compared to their negative control groups. Quassinoid-rich EL extract was effective in reducing skeletal deteriorations in the androgen-deficient osteoporosis rat model.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012
Osteoporosis in elderly men is now becoming an alarming health issue due to its relation with a higher mortality rate compared to osteoporosis in women. Androgen deficiency (hypogonadism) is one of the major factors of male osteoporosis and it can be treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). However, one medicinal plant, Eurycoma longifolia Jack (EL), can be used as an alternative treatment to prevent and treat male osteoporosis without causing the side effects associated with TRT. EL exerts proandrogenic effects that enhance testosterone level, as well as stimulate osteoblast proliferation and osteoclast apoptosis. This will maintain bone remodelling activity and reduce bone loss. Phytochemical components of EL may also prevent osteoporosis via its antioxidative property. Hence, EL has the potential as a complementary treatment for male osteoporosis.
Andrologia, 2014
The testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is characterised by numerous symptoms, including low libido, increased fat mass, fatigue, erectile dysfunction or osteoporosis, and up to 80% of men will experience some kind of ageing males' symptoms. This is caused by the age-depending decline in serum testosterone levels with concentrations being about 40-50% lower in men older than 60 years compared with young men. This significant decline in testosterone levels is further closely linked with medical conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes or hypertension. The conventional way of treating TDS is the testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), for which preparations are on the market. Apart from the beneficial effects of TRT, significant adverse side effects have been described, and prostate cancer (PCa) as absolute contraindication is debated. Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali; TA) is natural alternative to TRT and has been shown to restore serum testosterone levels, thus significantly improving sexual health. This includes significant positive effects on bone health and physical condition of patients. In addition, a significant antihyperglycaemic effect and cytotoxicity against PCas cells has been shown. Thus far, at therapeutic concentrations, no significant side effects of the treatment were obvious. Therefore, TA might be a safe alternative to TRT.
International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
Objective: Eurycoma longifolia (EL), a well-recognized Malaysian medicinal herb, has gained widespread popularity due to its ability to protect against bone calcium loss in androgen-deficient osteoporosis. Nevertheless numerous animal studies have proved the bone protective effect of EL; however, the exact mechanism is not well-explained yet. Thus, the present study was aimed to explore the in vitro basis of bone protective effects of EL by using mouse pre-osteoblast cell line (MC3T3-E1). Methods: The cytotoxicity and proliferative potential of EL were evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cell counting methods. Despite cell growth, the ability of EL to promote osteogenic differentiation of bone-forming cells was assessed by quantifying collagen (early differentiation marker) and calcium (late differentiation marker) in EL-treated bone forming cells. Results: Resulting data obtained from dose optimization study revealed that EL at 5 to 50 µg/ml concentration showed marked effects in significantly promoting cell growth in MC3T3-E1 cells. As such, resulting data also demonstrated the superior potential of EL in up regulating collagen synthesis and mineralization (calcium deposition) in MC3T3-E1 cells at 25 µg/ml, in comparison to untreated (negative control) and dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT)-treated cells (positive control). Conclusion: These pronounced effects of EL on osteoblasts provide an in vitro basis for the bone protective potential of EL and thus can be considered as an alternative regimen for the treatment of androgen-deficient male osteoporosis.
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Background Each year 1.5 million women experience menopause when menstrual cycles cease resulting from the loss of ovarian function and oestrogen deprivation, a hormone that helps prevent bone loss. This study investigated the effects of Physta®, a standardized herbal extract of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (PEL), on hormonal balance and parameters associated with hormonal imbalance, namely body and uterus weight and bone biochemical markers relevant in menopausal symptoms. Methods Forty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups of eight rats each: (A) Sham operated; control (B) Untreated (ovariectomised (OVX) with vehicle), (C) PEL 100 (OVX + 100 mg/kg body weight (bw)), (D) PEL 300 (OVX + 300 mg/kg bw), (E) PEL 500 (OVX + 500 mg/kg bw) and (F) Positive control, testosterone undecanoate (TU) (OVX+ 10 mg/kg bw). Group A and B received daily oral administrations of the vehicle, Group C-E received daily oral administration of PEL and Group F received testosterone und...
Effects of Eurycoma longifolia on Testosterone Level and
2012
There is increased prevalence of hypertensives among Malaysians in the last decade. The cost of antihypertensive agents is also escalating. There is a dire need for cheaper alternative drugs. In tropical regions, there have been claims that Eurycoma longifolia (EL) a local herbal plant is effective in obliterating headache and reducing blood pressure. Most studies had focused on aphrodisiac property of EL which has been shown to enhance testosterone levels in males. This study exploredthe possible effect of EL as an anti-hypertensive agent and whether the mechanism is related to serum testosterone levels. Twenty four healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=6): normal diet (ND), normal diet treated with EL (NDEL), high-fat diet (HFD) and HFD treated with EL (HFDEL). EL (15 mg/kg) was administered orally for 12 weeks. The animal's body weight, blood pressure and testosterone level were measured at week 0, 6 and 12.Results showed that the level of testosterone in groups receiving EL were significantly increased (P<0.05) from the untreated groups, in agreement with previous studies report on EL increasing testosterone level. Rats with high fat diet benefitted from treatment with EL extract (HFDEL)as there were reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly (P<0.05). Despite this effect, there were no significant correlations between blood pressure and testosterone level in HFDEL. There were no changes of blood pressure in rats receiving normal diet with or without EL, but there was a significant negative correlation (r=-0.846, p=0.034) between testosterone and diastolic blood pressure in NDEL. This study suggested the presence of anti-hypertensive property of EL in high fat diet induced hypertension, but it not associated with testosterone level. The blood pressure lowering mechanism through testosterone hormone however is only seen in normal diet group.
2021
Background Low testosterone levels cause physiological changes that compromise the quality of life in ageing men. A standardised water extract from the root of Eurycoma longifolia (EL), known as Physta®, is known to increase testosterone levels. Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Physta® in improving the testosterone levels and quality of life in ageing male subjects. Design This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 105 male subjects aged 50–70 years with a testosterone level <300 ng/dL, BMI ≥ 18 and ≤30.0 kg/m2. The subjects were given either Physta® 100 mg, 200 mg or placebo daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoints were changes in serum total and free testosterone levels. The secondary endpoints included changes in the level of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), thyroid function tests (T3, T4, TSH and Free T3) and cortisol. Changes in Ageing...
Nutrients
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of annatto tocotrienol on indices of bone static histomorphometry in orchidectomized rats. Forty male rats were randomized into baseline (BL), sham (SH), orchidectomized (ORX), annatto tocotrienol-treated (AnTT) and testosterone enanthate-treated (TE) groups. The BL group was sacrificed upon receipt. All rats except the SH group underwent bilateral orchidectomy. Annatto tocotrienol at 60 mg/kg body weight was administered orally daily to the AnTT group for eight weeks. Testosterone enanthate at 7 mg/kg body weight was administered intramuscularly once weekly for eight weeks to the TE group. The rat femurs were collected for static histomorphometric analysis upon necropsy. The results indicated that the ORX group had significantly higher osteoclast surface and eroded surface, and significantly lower osteoblast surface, osteoid surface and osteoid volume compared to the SH group (p < 0.05). Annatto tocotrienol and testosterone enanthate inte...