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1.
Introduction
6. Aging Problems ? How Pueraria mirifica can solve it Our certificates : |
Women in the rural communities in Thailand where this herb grows have used the tuberous roots of Pueraria mirifica effectively as "rejuvenating" folk medicine for well over a hundred years. It has become well known and has received much attention from Thai and foreign scientists and mainstream alike not so many years ago. According to Thai traditional medicine, this "rejuvenating" herb is recommended for both aged men and women for its efficacy to grow hair, strengthen and darken existing ones, help improve complexion and remove wrinkles, improve eyesight, increase energy and vigor leading to more reflexive body movements.
What is Pueraria
mirifica?
Pueraria mirifica Airy Shaw & Suvatabandhu is an
indigenous herb of Thailand, known in Thai as "Kwao Kreu" or "Kwao Kreu
Kao" (White Kwao Kreu), It belongs to the Family Leguminosae, subfamily
Papilionoideae or the soy, bean & pea subfamily. The plants are
commonly found in abundant in the forests in the north, the west and the
northeast of Thailand at the altitude of 300-800 meters above sea level.
Active principles in this plant are found in the tuberous root, which
looks like a chain of round-shaped bulbs of various sizes connected to the
next one via small root throughout the entire length of the root. The
shape and size of the tuberous root are diverse depending on the
environment in which it exists.
Ethnobotanic Use
Local
communities in Thailand have used Pueraria mirifica for well over one
hundred years, specifically for its rejuvenating qualities. The belief has
been passing down from one generation to another and more recently through
the publication by Luang Anusan Suntara,
In May 1931, Luang Anusan
Suntara published a pamphlet on the subject of "Kwao Kreu". It is stated
in the pamphlet that Pueraria mirifica can
- serve as the "fountain of youth" for aged men and women
- serve as
an anti-wrinkle agent for aged and wrinkled skin
- darken white hair,
and increase hair growth
- alleviate cataract problems
- help with
memory loss
- increase energy and vigor, more reflexive bodily
movements
- increase blood circulation
- increase appetite, and
-
alleviate sleep disorders.
In 1932, Dr. A.F.G. Kerr, the Director of the Botanical Section of the
Journal of the Siam Society, directed the attention of the scientific
community to the fact that the tuberous roots of a Thai plant called "Kwao
Kreu", mistakenly identified then as Butea superba, were considered to be
of value as a rejuvenating drug. Dr. Kerr was the first to create
international awareness of the rejuvenating qualities of this plant, which
subsequently led to the isolation of a potent phytoestrogen that is unique
to this plant only and to the identification of the plant as Pueraria
mirifica in 1952.
Chemical Composition
The
compounds that make Pueraria mirifica different from any other
phytoestrogen-containing plants in the Family Leguminosae are Miroestrol
and Deoxymiroestrol, which possess highest estrogenic activity among the
known phytoestrogens due to structural similarity to estradiol. Miroestrol
was actually the first compound isolated from this plant by a group of
German chemists in 1940, but the plant had been mistakenly reported then
as Butea superba. It was later on classified as a new plant called
Pueraria mirifica Airy Shaw et Suvatabhandu,
The isolation and
identification of deoxymiroestrol from the root of Pueraria mirifica has
just been reported in the February 2000 issue of the Journal of Natural
Products. The authors proposed that since deoxymiroestrol is easily
oxidized to miroestrol, deoxymiroestrol, not the previously reported
Miroestrol, is more to be the actual chemical constituent of Pueraria
mirifica. However, it is very likely that the two phytoestrogens coexist
in the root of this plant. As shown below, the chemical structures of the
two compounds are very similar to that of estradiol, the main human
estrogen.
In addition to miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol, Pueraria
mirifica also contains other chemicals that belong to isoflavone and
coumestran groups of phytoestrogens, e.g., Genistein, Daidzein, Daidzin,
Genistin, and Coumestrol that are usually found in soybeans. However, the
estrogenic activity of Miroestrol and Deoxymiroestrol is much more potent
than that of soy
isoflavones.
Chromene
Miroestrol
Deoxymiroestrol
Isoflavones
Daidzein
Genistein
Kawakhurin
Kawakhurin
hydrate
Isoflavone
Daidzin
Genistin
Mirificin
Puerarin
Puerarin-6"-monoacetate
Coumestans
glycosides
Coumestrol
Mirificoumestan
Mirificoumestan
glycol
Mirificoumestan hydrate
Toxicity Study
Toxicity
study of Pueraria mirifica has recently been conducted in male and female
Wistar rats by the Medicinal Plant Research Institute, Department of
Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health and by the Department of
Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. The animals were
given the suspension of root powder in water orally at the dose range
between 10-1000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
continuously for a period of ninety days.
From the animal toxicity
study, no estrogenic effect was observed at the doses of 10 mg/kg/day. The
histopathological studies and biochemical data at different dose levels in
rats of both sexes suggested that the maximum tolerated dose in rats would
be around 100 mg/kg/day. When consider the uncertainty factor for the
difference in the species and sensitivity among individuals, it is
concluded that the safe dosage of Pueraria mirifica as a dietary
supplement for human should be about 1-2 mg/kg/day or about 50-100
mg/day.
Aging Problems ? How Pueraria mirifica
can solve it.
Most women are very concerned about aging,
particularly the effects brought about by the aging process. For the
average women, menstruation cycles end at 48-50 years of age when the
reproductive system stops or slows down functioning. The body experiences
dramatic changes due to lower estrogen levels: the body's systems and its
functions begin to decelerate and the immune system weakens, accordingly
menopausal women will usually experience both psychological and
physiological changes. Psychological changes range from anxiety, tension
and nervousness to chronic depression, whereas the physiological changes
include hot flushes, fatigue and insomnia to more severe conditions as
bone loss, balding and degeneration of the reproductive
area.
Consequently, women at the age of 45-50 and post-menopausal
women need something to replace the loss of natural estrogen. Hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) has been extensively used to alleviate both the
psychological and physiological changes. However, this estrogen substitute
can be quite expensive and must be conducted under a physician's close
supervision. An effective alternative approach would be to delay those
aging problems by using natural phytoestrogens present in Pueraria
mirifica as a dietary supplement.
Health benefit of phytoestrogens
is at least two folds. Firstly, as stated earlier, Pueraria mirifica
contains various kinds of phytoestrogens, e.g., miroestrol,
deoxymiroestrol, genistein, daidzein, daidzin, genistin, coumestrol, etc.
These phytoestrogens can bind to the estrogen receptors like estrogen does
with different degrees of affinity giving different estrogenic potency.
When Pueraria is taken, its phytoestrogens would go around the body
through blood circulation and bind estrogen receptors present in various
organs. This would help restore normal function of the body once slow down
due to the aging process. Hence, phytoestrogens from Pueraria mirifica can
correct estrogen insufficiency in the body and relieve the post-menopausal
symptoms.
Secondly, there is evidence to support that phytoestrogen
consumption contributes to lower risks of cardiovascular disease and that
phytoestrogens may even prevent cardiovascular-related diseases. In a
study, it was proven that phytoestrogens in soybeans could decrease the
level of LDL cholesterol and increase the level of HDL cholesterol in the
blood; therefore, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover,
it was reported that subjects who consumed soy at least three times daily
had a decrease in the levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and
triglyceride. It is quite likely that phytoestrogens from Pueraria
mirifica will work just the same or even better than isoflavones since, in
the previously mentioned toxicity study in rats, a very significant
reduction of blood cholesterol levels in all groups of Pueraria
mirifica-treated rats was also observed.
Preliminary data from a
clinical trial conducted in Thailand to study the beneficial effect of
Pueraria mirifica supplement have recently been obtained. Eight female
subjects who were having menopausal symptoms received Pueraria mirifica in
the form of capsule once daily at the dose of 200 mg for 4 months followed
by the dose of 100 mg, for 8 months. Improvement of menopausal symptoms
was observed in 5 out of 8 subjects throughout the study period. Physical
examinations and biochemical studies revealed that all subjects were
healthy. The dietary supplement dose of Pueraria mirifica recommended by
the physician for its estrogenic effect in this case is 100 mg per
day.
Applications
Pueraria
mirifica has long been traditionally prepared in the form of pills for
oral intakes. Currently, the dried roots are finely ground, sometimes
mixed with other medicinal herbs, packed in capsules and marketed as a
dietary supplement.
Pueraria mirifica in the form of extract has
been introduced just recently. With modern extraction technology, the
extract from dried roots is standardized and prepared in the form of
powder and solution. The extract solution is used in cosmetic industry
such as preparation of breast cream, eye gel, and skin
moisturizer.
When Pueraria mirifica is taken as a dietary
supplement, its phytoestrogen constituents will naturally alleviate
symptoms occurring as a result of the aging process and a deficiency in
estrogen levels, e.g., sagging breasts, wrinkled skin, bone loss, gray
hair, etc. These aging signs and symptoms will, to a certain extent, be
reversed.
When applied topically to the skin, Pueraria mirifica
will be beneficial to that respective part of the body. Topical uses of
Pueraria mirifica have been known to include:
- Breast creams: to
firm breasts,
- Eye gel: to reduce the look of lines and wrinkles
around the eyes and postpone their future appearance, and
Various
forms and preparations of Pueraria mirifica should provide an effective
and inexpensive alternative to women who wish to take charge of their own
health and to enhance their beauty or utilize Pueraria mirifica for many
cosmetic purposes.
With regard to the safety and efficacy of dermal
preparations of Pueraria mirifica extract, standard dermal toxicity tests
were performed in various animal species as well as in humans, and no
toxicity was observed. Moreover, the efficacy of breast cream was recently
evaluated in a large group of human volunteers.
* Excerpt from Medicinal Plant Research Institute, Dept.
of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health,
Thailand.
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