Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a plant found in the United States. The berries of Saw Palmetto have been used as medicine by Native Americans for many years. Recent clinical studies revealed that Saw Palmetto extracts can help alleviate lower urinary tract symptoms arising from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a prostate disease commonly found in elderly males.

The benefits of Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) can be traced back to the early 1700’s, where the aborigines of the Florida peninsula depended largely upon the berries. The berries were used by the American Indians to treat atrophy of the testes, impotence, inflammation of the prostate, low libido in men, and as a general tonic to nourish the body. Other historical uses have included the treatment of infertility in women, treatment of underdeveloped   breasts, increased lactation, painful periods, anti-inflammatory, appetite   stimulant, and as a tonic and expectorant for mucous membranes, particularly the bronchial passages. It has also been marketed as an aphrodisiac for both men and women and has been called the “sex pill of the 90’s”.

The product today is mainly used for the treatment of conditions associated with BPH (nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate gland).

Extraction of the berry powder resulted in a soluble fraction that could inhibit the proliferation of several prostate cancer cells. The inhibitory action seemed to be specific against prostate cancer cells because Saw Palmetto extracts had little or no inhibitory effects on the proliferation of colon, kidney, liver, and breast cancer cells. Preliminary chemical characterization studies revealed that the bioactive ingredient(s) in Saw Palmetto are many. According to Dr. Jerry McLaughlin at Purdue University, there are probably more active compounds in saw palmetto than we know of at this time. Dr. McLaughlin has personally analyzed some of these compounds at his University laboratory. He says, "There are hundreds of substances in herbal extracts, and it's going to take a very long time for us to isolate the biologically active ones. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. For instance, he has isolated two monoglycerides within saw palmetto that have anti-tumor activities. These are sn1-monolaurin (lauricidin®, and sn1-monomyristin. Both compounds showed moderate biological activities in the brine shrimp lethality test against renal (A-498) and pancreatic (PACA-2) human tumor cells; borderline cytotoxicity was exhibited against human prostatic (PC-3) cell.

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