7886 Impact of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Supplement on Androgen Signalling Pathways
Abstract
Abstract Disclosure: I.S. Barata: None. J. Yakubu: None. T. Du Toit: None. A.V. Pandey: None. Supplements derived from plant extracts are often used as alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs. These products are often perceived as safe despite the absence of scientific evidence regarding their efficacy and safety and are less strictly regulated than pharmaceutical products. Winter cherry (Withania somnifera, commonly known as ashwagandha) is used as a testosterone booster supplement in multiple countries. Withania somnifera extract was found to increase testosterone and androgen precursors in a small clinical study. However, there is a lack of data regarding effects of Withania somnifera on the steroidogenic pathways. Steroidogenesis impacts not only sexual differentiation, reproduction, and fertility but also other physiological processes, including hypertension and obesity. Moreover, the modulation of hormone signaling is an important target in hormone-responsive pathogenesis, and overproduction of androgens has been implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In humans, testosterone is mainly produced in the testes after conversion of pregnenolone to 17-hydroxypregnenolone (17-OHPreg) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA, the precursor of androgens) by adrenal CYP17A1, which catalyzes both the 17-hydroxylation of steroids for cortisol production and the breakage of 17,20 bonds (17,20 lyase) in 17-OHPreg to produce DHEA. The…
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