Germacrene Analogs Are Anti-Androgenic on Androgen-Dependent Cells
September 2016
in “
Natural Product Communications
”
germacrene analogs germacrone Curcuma aeruginosa steroid 5-alpha reductase testosterone dihydrotestosterone DHT androgenic alopecia 8-Hydroxy germacrene B prostate cancer cells human dermal papilla cells structure-activity relationship anti-androgenic treatments germacrene Curcuma 5-alpha reductase male pattern baldness 8-Hydroxy germacrene prostate cells hair follicle cells SAR anti-androgenic
TLDR Germacrene analogs, especially 8-Hydroxy germacrene B, are more effective than germacrone at blocking a hormone-related enzyme and could help treat hair loss.
The document from 2016 reports on the anti-androgenic effects of germacrene analogs, particularly on androgen-dependent cells, with a focus on germacrone, a compound isolated from Curcuma aeruginosa. Germacrone was found to inhibit steroid 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is associated with androgenic alopecia. The study aimed to identify more potent analogs and found that 8-Hydroxy germacrene B was approximately 13 times more potent than germacrone. This compound, along with germacrone, demonstrated mild cytotoxic effects on prostate cancer cells but was not cytotoxic to human dermal papilla cells at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. The study concluded that the structure-activity relationship strategy could lead to the development of new anti-androgenic treatments for conditions like androgenic alopecia. However, the document does not provide specific results of the cytotoxic assays or the effectiveness of the germacrene analogs, and the synthesis procedures for these compounds are detailed with yields ranging from 34% to 97%.
