Benign prostatic hyperplasia can be treated with the extract of Japanese rush root

A study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine shows that the perennial plant Japanese rush (Acorus gramineus), found in countries in East Asia, can reduce symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In the study, researchers from South Korea evaluated the pharmacological effects of the plant, despite its toxicity.

• The study addressed two goals: To determine the effects of A. gramineus for BPH treatment in vivo and to compare it against the diuretic furosemide used in conventional BPH treatments.
• A. gramineus root hot water extract (AG) were given to rats that had been injected with testosterone propionate to induce BPH.
• The experiment ran for eight weeks, during which their body weight was recorded in three-day intervals. In addition, researchers also studied prostate weight, prostate weight ratio, hormonal changes, the prostate gland’s 5-? reductase type II androgen receptor (AR), and antioxidant activation factors which were related to BPH.
• From the results, rats that were treated with AG, especially those at 250 and 500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) a day, had a lower prostate gland weight than those in control group.
• Biomarkers such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and androgen receptor expression level also decreased in AG-treated rats.
• Blood toxicity from alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level was not observed.

The findings suggest that AG can potentially reduce symptoms of BPH.

Find the full text of the study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Moon JM, Sung HM, Jung HJ, Seo JW, Wee JH. IN VIVO EVALUATION OF HOT WATER EXTRACT OF ACORUS GRAMINEUS ROOT AGAINST BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 22 August 2017;17. (414). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1887-9