Abstract:

The inhibitory effects of different solvent extracts from Astragali  Radix  on benign prostatic hyperplasiawere compared in this paper so as to lay a foundation for the search of active ingredients of Astragali  Radix  against prostatic hyperplasia. The effects of three different concentrations of ethanol extracts and water extracts on the prostate coefficient of prostate hyperplasia model rats, the contraction strength of isolated bladder detrusor muscle, serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations were compared. Results showed that the four solvent extracts of Astragali  Radix  had a good inhibitory effect on the prostate coefficient of model rats (P<0.01). The effect of 95% ethanol extract was more obvious, and there was a significant difference when compared with other three groups(P<0.05); The four extracts also increased the contractile strength of the bladder detrusor strips in model rats and reduced the serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in the model rats. The 95% ethanol extract group was even more effective than other extract groups, and there was a significant difference when compared with other three extract groups (P<0.01). Thus, it can be concluded, different solvent extracts of Astragali  Radix  have good inhibition on BPH in rats, and the effect of 95% ethanol extract is better. The mechanism may be related to decreasing the concentrations of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in serum. The active ingredient may be flavonoid aglycone, which is mainly composed of calycosin.

Key words: Astragali , Radix , prostate coefficient, the contraction strength of isolated bladder detrusor muscle, prostatic hyperplasia