Exploring the Potential of Eclipta alba: A Promising Approach for Hair Treatment Management through 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibition

Abstract

A class of medications known as 5 alpha reductase (5α-reductase or 5αR) inhibitors is used to treat male pattern hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia. This study shows that Eclipta alba has 5αR inhibitory action that is helpful in the treatment of androgenic diseases. For 5αR enzyme inhibition evaluation, E. alba was extracted using methanol and petroleum ether. Further phytochemical screening can be done. Phytosterols test negatively found in methanol extract during phytochemical screening but positive in petroleum ether extract of E. alba. HPTLC data of different extracts was performed based on the phytochemical screening found. According to the HPTLC analysis, petroleum ether extract of E. alba contained 0.11% of β-sitosterol, while the methanolic extract had a higher concentration of 4.75%. The inhibitory activity of these plant extracts against 5αR was examined in comparison to the commonly used 5αR inhibitor, finasteride. IC50 measurements for petroleum ether extract of E. alba and β-sitosterol (a chemical biomarker derived from the plant material) were established as 150.76 ± 4.56 and 77.09 ± 3.07 μg/mL, correspondingly. These results indicate their potential as compelling contenders worthy of deeper exploration regarding their anti-androgenic properties. The notable abundance of β-sitosterol in the petroleum ether extract of E. alba enhances its potential for significant biological activity, particularly in terms of inhibiting the 5αR enzyme.