Canavalia ensiformis L. (Fabaceae) attenuates benign prostatic hyperplasia: A potential phytotherapeutic agent for managing BPH

Canavalia ensiformis (jack bean) is an underutilised legume in Nigeria used for the treatment of tumour-related ailments. Its potential in BPH treatment has not yet been investigated. This study aims to evaluate the anti-BPH activity of C. ensiformis methanol leaf extract in a testosterone-induced BPH rat model. Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to six groups: normal, sham, finasteride-treated (5 mg/kg/day), and extract-treated (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day) groups. BPH was induced with subcutaneous administration of testosterone propionate (4 mg/kg/day) for 21 days. On the 22nd day, the rats were sacrificed, and blood was collected via the abdominal aorta for analysis of testosterone and prostate-specific antigen. Their prostates were harvested and subjected to histological analysis. The extract at a 200 mg/kg dose exhibited a significant (p˂0.01) inhibition of 42.38% of prostate weight enlargement. In conclusion, C. ensiformis extract shows promising anti-BPH activity, supporting its potential as a phytotherapeutic agent.