Yang-tonifying traditional Chinese medicinal plants and their potential phytoandrogenic activity

Authors Edouard, Munyangaju Jose; Miao Lin; Fan Guan-Wei; Ojong, Bamabas Bessem Orang; Zhen Hu; Zhang Ju; Gao Xiu-Mei; Zhu Yan

Journal CHINESE JOURNAL OF NATURAL MEDICINES , MAY 2014,5:12

DOI 10.1016/S1875-5364(14)60040-6 PubMed 24856755

Abstract The concept of Chinese medicine a number of phytoandrogens are classified in medicinal plant restoratives for reinforcing yang, and they find their application in the treatment of the kidney yang deficiency diseases. In this review, the phytoandrogens used in traditional Chinese medicine are listed, and their proven applications in the treatment of kidney yang deficiency diseases, such as sexual disorders, cancer, and obesity and associated metabolic syndromes are presented. As a background, the mechanism of action of androgens, their synthesis and metabolism, the interrelations of androgens and estrogens, as well as the state of art methods to detect and analyze these hormonal activities in medicinal plants are discussed.