We investigated whether a standardized saw palmetto extract (SP, mixture of supercritical extract and ethanol extract at a ratio of 9.5 to 0.5) can relieve the symptoms of andropause, including metabolic syndrome, and decreases in muscle endurance and spermatogenesis, in old rats. Twenty-four-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats received oral supplementation of SP at 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg body weight (bw) for 4 weeks. We found that SP supplementation reduced body weight gain by decreasing visceral and epididymal fat weights and the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein/very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In addition, SP supplementation increased muscle endurance, sperm counts, and testosterone biosynthesis through hormonal regulation. In Leydig cells under hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress, SP treatment directly induced testosterone biosynthesis by activating the mRNA expression of the genes encoding 17,20-desmolase and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 4. In conclusion, our results suggest that supplementation of SP may be useful for alleviating the symptoms of andropause via direct and indirect regulation of testosterone biosynthesis.
Keywords: aging; andropause; saw palmetto extract; spermatogenesis; testosterone.