Review: Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Aging Properties of Equol in Prostate Health (BPH)

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) is the pathological cellular progression of glandular proliferationassociated with aging. The primary changes in prostate disorders are mediatedby the conversion of the principle androgen, testosterone, to its more potentmetabolite, 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT). However, recent evidencesuggests that estrogen hormonal actions via estrogen receptor subtypes alsoplay an important role in BPH. Current pharmaceutical options for BPH haveadvantages, limitations and adverse effects. Complementary and AlternativeMedicine (CAM) treatments for BPH include botanicals such as polyphenols andisoflavones. Equol is a polyphenolic/isoflavonoid molecule derived fromintestinal metabolism, dairy and dietary plant sources. Equol has potentanti-oxidant and anti-aging properties to decrease prostatic irritation andpotentially neoplastic growth. It has the unique characteristic to bindspecifically 5α-DHT by sequestering 5α-DHT from the androgen receptor (AR),thus decreasing androgen hormone actions to improve prostate health by actingas a selective androgen modulator (SAM). It also has affinity for estrogenrelated receptor gamma (ERR-γ) andestrogen receptor beta (ER-β) withinthe prostate that is known to improve male health via selective estrogenreceptor modulatory (SERM) activities to decrease inflammation, cellularproliferation and carcinogenesis. The possible clinical efficacy of equol onthe symptoms associated with BPH is presented and the reviewed findings suggestthat equol may provide a well-tolerated and rapid beneficial therapy for BPHthat can be used alone or in combination with current pharmaceutical therapies.The beneficial clinical efficacy of equol observed may be due to the multiplepositive biological actions that are not present in current pharmaceuticaltreatments.