michael barry
Senior Member
- Reaction score
- 14
Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Dec;46(12):3563-70. Epub 2008 Aug 31.
Spearmint induced hypothalamic oxidative stress and testicular anti-androgenicity in male rats - altered levels of gene expression, enzymes and hormones.
Kumar V, Kural MR, Pereira BM, Roy P.
Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, Uttarakhand, India.
Mentha spicata Labiatae, commonly known as spearmint, can be used for various kinds of illnesses in herbal medicines and food industries. One of the prominent functions of this plant extract is its anti-androgenic activity. The present study investigated the probable correlation between oxidative stress in hypothalamic region and anti-androgenic action of this plant's aqueous extract on rats. Decreased activities of enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in hypothalamus of treated rats indicated spearmint induced oxidative stress. Further RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis demonstrated the decreased expression of some of the steroidogenic enzymes, cytochrome P450scc, cytochrome P450C17, 3beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD), 17beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta-HSD) and other related proteins like, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, androgen receptor and scavenger receptor class B-1. Further, in vitro enzyme assays demonstrated depressed activities of testicular 3beta-HSD and 17beta-HSD enzymes. Histopathology indicated a decreased sperm density in cauda epididymis and degeneration of ductus deference. Our study suggested that spearmint probably induced oxidative stress in hypothalamus resulting in decreased synthesis of LH and FSH which in turn down-regulated the production of testicular testosterone through the disruption of a number of intermediate cascades.
PMID: 18804513 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
If mentha piperta (present in spearmint and especially peppermint) inhibits 17-beta HSD and 3 beta HSD, you can see why it induces such an anti-androgenic state. Both of those enzymes are upstream of alpha-five reductase. Inhibiting either should leave very little alpha-five reductase. The steroidogenesis chart can be seen here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Test_ ... 7BHSD3.jpg
Basically 3 beta-HSD is necessary to turn DHEA into androstenidione, and 17 beta HSD is necessary (along with NADPH, which isn't on this chart) to create alpha-five reductase. 17-beta HSD and NADPH are co-factors in alpha-five reductase creation. Knock out either of the 2, and you wont have much alpha five reductase. If you knock out 3 beta HSD, you wont even have much androstenidione to be locally converted into stronger androgens. The stuff even decreased the expression of the androgen receptor. Apparently mentha piperta inhibits two enzymes upstream of alpha-five reductase.
But there is bad news....................Decreased activities of enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in hypothalamus of treated rats indicated spearmint induced oxidative stress
So much bad news, let me count the ways. Catalese is what keeps hydrogen peroxide levels down in the skin, and hydrogen peroxide has been shown to be why melanocytes get inactive and your hair turns grey. I read an article about a year back in which scientists asserted that a lack of catalese WAS why our hair turns grey with age.
Superoxide dismutases are very helpful against ROS. They really help to delay ageing and inflammation.
Glutathione is the anti-oxidant that your own body makes. You never hear about it, but its probably the most important anti-oxidant in your body. In short, although peppermint is very anti-androgenic (good grief, multiple pathways involved. No wonder it so lessened my beard hair those years ago on one side of my chin vs. the untreated side), but it probably would speed ageing of the dermis wherever it was applied.
I think the "search" for a cheap "home-made" antiandrogen would have to revert back to topical green tea, and some of the other natural anti-androgens that have been bandied about on the forums for a while. I dont know that I'd put mint in my hair now unless it was with a very good copper peptide product.
Ive been using the same stuff.......finas, nizoral, and tinkering with topical green tea extract of my own making. My hair looks good.........suprisingly dark.
Hope all you guys are doing well. Haven't been on here in forever.
Spearmint induced hypothalamic oxidative stress and testicular anti-androgenicity in male rats - altered levels of gene expression, enzymes and hormones.
Kumar V, Kural MR, Pereira BM, Roy P.
Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, Uttarakhand, India.
Mentha spicata Labiatae, commonly known as spearmint, can be used for various kinds of illnesses in herbal medicines and food industries. One of the prominent functions of this plant extract is its anti-androgenic activity. The present study investigated the probable correlation between oxidative stress in hypothalamic region and anti-androgenic action of this plant's aqueous extract on rats. Decreased activities of enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in hypothalamus of treated rats indicated spearmint induced oxidative stress. Further RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis demonstrated the decreased expression of some of the steroidogenic enzymes, cytochrome P450scc, cytochrome P450C17, 3beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD), 17beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta-HSD) and other related proteins like, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, androgen receptor and scavenger receptor class B-1. Further, in vitro enzyme assays demonstrated depressed activities of testicular 3beta-HSD and 17beta-HSD enzymes. Histopathology indicated a decreased sperm density in cauda epididymis and degeneration of ductus deference. Our study suggested that spearmint probably induced oxidative stress in hypothalamus resulting in decreased synthesis of LH and FSH which in turn down-regulated the production of testicular testosterone through the disruption of a number of intermediate cascades.
PMID: 18804513 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
If mentha piperta (present in spearmint and especially peppermint) inhibits 17-beta HSD and 3 beta HSD, you can see why it induces such an anti-androgenic state. Both of those enzymes are upstream of alpha-five reductase. Inhibiting either should leave very little alpha-five reductase. The steroidogenesis chart can be seen here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Test_ ... 7BHSD3.jpg
Basically 3 beta-HSD is necessary to turn DHEA into androstenidione, and 17 beta HSD is necessary (along with NADPH, which isn't on this chart) to create alpha-five reductase. 17-beta HSD and NADPH are co-factors in alpha-five reductase creation. Knock out either of the 2, and you wont have much alpha five reductase. If you knock out 3 beta HSD, you wont even have much androstenidione to be locally converted into stronger androgens. The stuff even decreased the expression of the androgen receptor. Apparently mentha piperta inhibits two enzymes upstream of alpha-five reductase.
But there is bad news....................Decreased activities of enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in hypothalamus of treated rats indicated spearmint induced oxidative stress
So much bad news, let me count the ways. Catalese is what keeps hydrogen peroxide levels down in the skin, and hydrogen peroxide has been shown to be why melanocytes get inactive and your hair turns grey. I read an article about a year back in which scientists asserted that a lack of catalese WAS why our hair turns grey with age.
Superoxide dismutases are very helpful against ROS. They really help to delay ageing and inflammation.
Glutathione is the anti-oxidant that your own body makes. You never hear about it, but its probably the most important anti-oxidant in your body. In short, although peppermint is very anti-androgenic (good grief, multiple pathways involved. No wonder it so lessened my beard hair those years ago on one side of my chin vs. the untreated side), but it probably would speed ageing of the dermis wherever it was applied.
I think the "search" for a cheap "home-made" antiandrogen would have to revert back to topical green tea, and some of the other natural anti-androgens that have been bandied about on the forums for a while. I dont know that I'd put mint in my hair now unless it was with a very good copper peptide product.
Ive been using the same stuff.......finas, nizoral, and tinkering with topical green tea extract of my own making. My hair looks good.........suprisingly dark.
Hope all you guys are doing well. Haven't been on here in forever.
