Abstract Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease, as the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the gland to press against the urethra. The symptoms of BPH vary, but the most common is problems with urination which makes life unbearable. We investigated seed extract of Nigerian indigenous plant Prosopis africana (PA) effect on BPH. BPH was induced in male rats weighing 250-350g through exogenous administration of testosterone and estradiol. A total of 25 rats were divided into five groups. One group was used as a control and the other groups received subcutaneous injections of the two hormones. Groups 1 to 2 were treated orally with different doses of extracts and group 3 received finasteride, group 4 was left untreated and group 5 served as normal control. After forty-five days of treatment with the extract the animals were sacrificed blood collected through cardiac puncture for biochemical analysis. The prostate were harvested and weighed. Treatment with extract caused a significant decrease in the size of the enlarged prostate in a dose related manner (p<0.05) when compared with the BPH control group. Progressive weight gain occurred in extract and finasteride treated groups. The level of cholesterol and LDL-C were significantly reduced when compared to the BPH control. There was no significant change in HDL concentration in all groups. The significant reduction of cholesterol and LDL supported by reduced prostate weight suggest that the extract hold potentials for reversal and reduction of induced BPH in rats model.
Keywords Testosterone, estradiol, cholesterol, TG, HDL, LDL-C