• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.274-279
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• 2021

The therapeutic effects of the leaves of Couroupita guianensis, a large tropical tree in the family of Lecythidaceae improving testosterone-induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) were tested in vitro and in vivo. In BPH rats induced by castration and testosterone treatment, the prostate index was improved in groups administered with the extracts of C. guianensis extracted with 50%-, 100%-ethanol or boiling water, which was comparable with positive control, finasteride. The extract C. guianensis leaves showed significant inhibition on the expressions of type 2 5-alpha reductase (5αR) in RWPE-1 human prostatic epithelial cells, and effectively attenuated the expressions of androgen receptor, type 2 5αR and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in LNCap human prostatic adenocarcinoma cells. The leaves of C. guianensis that exerted evident suppression on BPH-related biomarkers in vitro and improvement of prostate index in vivo has a potential therapeutic use for the treatment of BPH.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.388-394
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• 2018

An efficient and reproducible protocol for in vitro germination of seeds of Couroupita guianensis has been developed in the present study. Couroupita guianensis is a medicinally important tree and categorized as threatened plant species by the IUCN. The seeds were surface sterilized using 0.1% $HgCl_2$ and inoculated on MS (Murashige and Skoog) and Woody Plants (Llyod and McCown) medium. The seeds with partially removed seed coat responded better (100%) on half strength MS medium as compared to the full (51%), one-fourth strength MS (79%) and the WP medium. Half strength MS medium conjunct with $2.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ indole-3 butyric acid (IBA) was found best among the different types of auxins and cytokinins tested for seed germination, as all the seeds germinated on this medium combination. The seedlings were successfully hardened in the greenhouse and restored in the field with 83% survival rate. The protocol can be used as conservation measure for large scale multiplication of this threatened forest tree species.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.200-205
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• 2009

The n-hexane and carbon tetrachloride soluble fractions of a methanolic extract of the stem bark of the Couroupita guianensis furnished three compounds, identified as $\beta$-amyrin (1), betulin-$3{\beta}$-caffeate (2) and lupeol-$3{\beta}$-caffeate (3). The structures of the isolated compounds were deduced by extensive spectroscopic analysis as well as by comparison with published values. Compounds 1-3 were subjected to antioxidant screening through free radical scavenging activity by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), where compound 2 showed moderate antioxidant activity with $IC_{50}$ value $108.0{\mu}g/ml$.