Prunus Africana Bark
Botanical Name
Prunus Africana
Synonyms
Pygeum africanum
Parts Used
Dried bark of the trunk of Prunus africana
Common Names
African plum tree, African prune, armaatet, bitteramandel, chati, inkhokhokho, iyangazoma-elimnyama, kiburabura, lemalan migambo, mueri, muiru, murugutu, muutimailu, mweria, mwiritsa, nuwehout, ol-koijuk, oromoti, red stinkwood, rooistinhout, tenduet, tendwet, twendet, umdumizulu, umkakase, umkhakhazi, umlalume.
Traditional Uses
Aphrodisiac, bladder sphincter disorders, fever, impotence, inflammation, kidney disease, malaria, male baldness, partial bladder outlet obstruction, prostate cancer, prostatic adenoma, prostatitis, psychosis, sexual performance, stomach upset, urinary tract health.
Geographical Distribution
Found in mountain forests of equatorial Africa including Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, South Africa, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Description
An evergreen tree, usually 10-25 m high, with straight, cylinder trunk and dense, rounded crown. Flowers are small, fragrant and white or cream in color. Fruits are cherry-shaped, red to purplish-brown. The wood is very hard and heavy, pale red with strong cyanide smell when freshly cut, darkening to rich dark red or mahogany-brown on exposure to air. Dried bark is red to blackish-brown and has a strong odor, characteristic almond smell.
Pygeum extracts have been used for more than 30 years in France, Germany, and Austria for patients suffering with prostate enlargement. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate that occurs in most men over 60, can lead to urinary frequency and nocturia (waking up at night to go to the bathroom). Frequent interruption of sleep leads to daytime tiredness. The pharmacologic use of plants and herbs for the treatment of BPH has been growing steadily.
Major Chemical Constituents
Active constituents include docosanol and B-sitosterol. Other major constituents include alkanols, fatty acids (62.3% comprising myristic, palmitic, linoleic, oleic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, and lignoceric acids), sterols, and triterpenes. The presence of the cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin has been documented in the bark, leaf and fruit of this species.
Medical Uses
Treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (enlargement of the prostate), stages I and II (nocturia, polyuria and urinary retention), in cases where diagnosis of prostate cancer is negative. Bark preparations are used by the Zulu people to treat intercostal pains and elsewhere in Africa as a purgative and a remedy for stomach pains. In Europe, bark extracts are used in the treatment of BPH. Clinical data support its use for the relief of lower urinary tract symptoms of Stage 1 and 2 BPH (nocturia, polyuria and urinary.
Pharmacology
Research studies have demonstrated that African prune stimulates the secretory activity of the prostate, has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic tendencies and inhibits cell proliferation. Standardised bark extract (lipid/sterol fraction) has been in clinical use in Europe since 1969. There have been numerous studies aimed at establishing both efficacy and precise mode of action. The beneficial effects noted in patients suffering from BPH following treatment with standardised bark extract include significant reduction in frequency of urination and residual urine volume and an increase in voided volume and flow rate, as compared with placebo. Reduction in edema and inflammation as well as diminished histamine-induced vessel permeability have been demonstrated. These effects have been attributed to the presence of phytosterols (anti-inflammatory, anti-estrogen), pentacyclic triterpenes (anti-edema, immunostimulant ) and ferulic acid esters (hypocholesterolaemic).
Dosage forms
In traditional
practice, bark infusions are taken orally. In Europe, the lipid/sterol fraction,
usually obtained by extraction of the bark with chloroform or dichloromethane,
is taken orally. Tadenan® is one such preparation.
Contraindications
Preparations of
this species are contraindicated in cases of known allergy to members of
Rosaceae, as well as during pregnancy, lactation and in children under the age
of 12 years because of effects on androgen and oestrogen metabolism.
Precautions
A diagnosis of BPH is preferable before commencing treatment with standardised bark extract. Currently available evidence does not suggest carcinogenesis, mutagenesis or impairment of fertility associated with the use of Prunus africana.