Researches of Butea Superba

Butea Superba Clinical Study

The human test as a food supplement of functional food of Butea Superba has been tested in 142 testers with errectile malfunction at the age of 20-55 years old. In conclusion, Butea Superba powder prepared as mentioned earlier as proven to be a herbal anti-potency for men via its strong vasoldilator effect especially at the penis. Working through this mechanism, it is possible to use Butea Superba directly or as a main part in the herbal product to treat erectile dysfunction male.

Effects of Butea Superba on reproductive system of rats

The effects of Butea Superba on the reproductive system in male Wistar rats were investigated. The animals were fed daily with the powdered crude drug suspended in distilled water by a gastric tube at the dose of 2, 25, 250 and 1250 mg/kg body weight for 8 weeks. Rats fed with 1 ml of distilled water were used as a negative control. The weights of all vital organs in all treated groups were not different from the control. The percentage weight ratios of body weights of semial vesicles and prostate glands were not different from the control, except that the testis of the group fed with 1250 mg/kg was significantly different from the control and the other treated groups. In addition, the sperm counts in this group showed about 16% more than the control group. Hematology as well as the liver and kidney function of all treated groups showed no difference from the control. Butea Superba, drug at 250 mg/kg which was 100 times more than the Thai FDA recommended dose for humans appeared to be safe in rats. The crude drug has demonstrated an increase tendency on testis weight and sperm counts in rat. The information from the present study can be used to explain the Thai folklore application of this plant in Thailand.

Cytotoxic constituents from Butea Superba Roxb

A carpin (3-hydroxy-9-methoxypterocarpan)(Medicarpin) (1) and four isoflavones, 7-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-isoflavone (Formononetin) (2); 7,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone (3); 5,4'-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-isoflavone (Prunetin) (4) and 7-hydroxy-6,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone (5) were isolated from the tuber roots of Butea Superba Roxb. Compunds 2 and 4 showed moderated cytotoxic activity on KB cell lines with IC50 (uM) values of 37.3 ± 2.5 and 71.1 ± 0.8 and on BC cell lines with IC50 (uM) values of 32.7 ± 1.5 and 47.3, respectively.

Flavonoid and Flavonoid Glycosicle from Butea Superba Roxb. and their cAMP Phosphodiesterase Inhibitory Activity

Flavonoid (3, 7, 3'-Trihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavone) (1) and flavonoid glycoside (3, 3'-dihydroxy-4', methoxyflavone-7-O-B-D-glucopyranoside) (2) were isolated from the roots of Butea Superba Roxb. The structures were determined on the basis of spectral analysis, including 2D-NMR techniques. These compounds show strong inhibitory effects on cAMP phosphodiesterase.