The therapeutic effects of Pygeum africanum for the management of benign prostate hyperplasia condition in dogs

Mohamed, Hassnaa; El-Shahat, Khaled; Eissa, Hany; Salama, Ali; Fadel, Moustafa

doi:10.21608/vmjg.2025.354791.1044

The therapeutic effects of Pygeum africanum for the management of benign prostate hyperplasia condition in dogs

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Artificial insemination, Animal Reproduction Research Institute, Giza

² Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

³ Animal Reproduction and Artificial Insemination Research Institute, ARC, Giza, Egypt

10.21608/vmjg.2025.354791.1044

Abstract

The herbal agent Pygeum africanum is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) through the inhibition of the proliferation of prostate stromal cells from BPH tissues. The present investigation sought to examine the effect of Pygeum africanum on testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate in a dog model. A total of six sexually mature Egyptian baladi dogs (age:2-4 years old; weight: 20-25 kg) were used. Animals were subdivided into 2 equal groups: the Control group, which continued to receive the same diet without treatment until the end of the study, and the BPH group, which received Testosterone (75 mg/dog) and Estradiol Benzoate (0.75 mg/dog) via intramuscular injection on days 0, 21, 42, and 63 of the induction period. The testosterone doses were doubled on days 21, 42, and 63. The same animals, after induction (n=3), were used as the Pygeum africanum-treated group. These BPH dogs received 100 mg\dog\daily of Pygeum africanum extract to treat BPH for 30 days. Prostate volume, and prostatic artery Doppler parameters including peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), resistance index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were measured at days 0 (the day of the first injection), 63 (after induction of BPH), and 30 days after treatments of Pygeum africanum. Blood samples were collected on days 0 and 63 during the induction period and after 30 days of treatment. Serum testosterone (T) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were assayed. The results showed that the BPH group significantly (P ˂ 0.05) increased prostate volume and Doppler parameters (PI, PSV, and EDV). Pygeum africanum reversed these results. PSA levels significantly (P ˂ 0.05) increased in the BPH group compared to controls, but decreased in the treated group, while testosterone levels dropped significantly (P ˂ 0.05) in the BPH group compared to the control group, with no significant difference from the treated group.

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