AUTHOR=Kim Sung-Ok , Choi Arin , Lee Hee-Hwan , Lee Jae-Yong , Park Sang Jae , Kim Byung-Hak 

TITLE=Purple corn extract improves benign prostatic hyperplasia by inhibiting 5 alpha-reductase type 2 and inflammation in testosterone propionate-induced rats

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1485072

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2024.1485072

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a health issue caused by an enlarged prostate in older men. Its prevalence increases with age, and it results in urination-related problems. This works studied the effect of purple corn extract (PCE) on improving BPH symptoms using a testosterone propionate (TP)-induced rat model. PCE reduced the enlargement and weight of the prostate through the inhibition of the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by inhibiting 5α-reductase type 2 (Srd5a2) in TP-induced BPH rats. In these rats, PCE decreased androgen receptor (AR) expression, AR-mediated signaling, and cell proliferation and increased apoptotic cell death. Finally, PCE exhibited anti-inflammatory activity through the regulation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) axis. These results indicate that the Srd5a2 inhibition and anti-inflammatory activity are some of the beneficial effects of PCE that improve BPH symptoms.