Cimicifuga for prostate cancer?

Cimicifuga for prostate cancer?

Seidlov[a']-Wuttke, Thelen P, Wuttke W. 2006. Inhibitory effects of a black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) extract on prostate cancer. Planta Med 72;6:521-6. (AC)

Prostate cancer is the most frequent malignancy in males. The human prostate metastasis derived cell line LNCaP is an androgen dependent growing cell line which expresses 5[alpha]-R2. The Cimicifuga racemosa extract BNO 1055 (CR) inhibits proliferation of human prostate cancer derived LNCaP cells.

The authors tested the capability of this extract to inhibit formation and/or proliferation of tumors induced by subcutaneous inoculation of LNCaP cells in immunodeficient mice. After inoculation 12 of 18 animals developed solid tumors while tumor development was seen in only 5 of 18 CR treated animals. The amount of tumor tissue in the control animals was significantly larger than in the CR treated animals where connective tissue was predominant. The CR treatment did not affect serum testosterone levels significantly regardless of whether the animals developed tumors or not. The tumor bearing mice had less bone mineral density in a vertebral body. The authors conclude that the CR extract BNO 1055 may in the future prove to be of value in the prevention and possibly the progression of prostate cancers in humans.