Piper cubeba demonstrates anti-estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

This present study aims to investigate if P9605, an ethanolic extract of PIPER CUBEBA L, exhibits anti-estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. We found that P9605 significantly inhibited growth induced by beta-estradiol in MCF-7, a human breast cancer cell line. It inhibited aromatase activity, which is responsible for transforming androgens into estrogens. Competitive binding assays also indicated P9605 binding to both human recombinant estrogen a and beta receptors. Furthermore, this extract inhibited the activities of cyclo-oxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) and 5-lipo-oxygenase (5-LOX), also it attenuated the induction of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in differentiated THP-1 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Taken together with our previous results, P9605 possesses anti-androgenic, anti-estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. These results support the potential use of P9605 in phytotherapy against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).