Enzyme Inhibitory Activity of Certain Vegetables Indigenous in Iran as Potential Antiandrogens

Androgenetic alopecia is the chief type of scalp hair loss regardless of gender, causing anxiety, depression, arterial stiffness, and cardiovascular disease. The areal parts of Olea europaea (OE) and Trigonella foenum-graecum (TF), as well as the bulbs of Allium sativum (AS) are vastly used in Persian folklore for a great range of culinary and medicinal purposes. This study was an attempt to evaluate 5α-reductase (5α-R) inhibitory activity of the ethanol-based extracts of three edible plant species traditionally used in Iran. In order to measure enzyme inhibitory potential, six samples were prepared: NADPH + enzyme + testosterone + extract (n = 3); enzyme blank (n = 1); positive and negative controls (n = 2). On the whole, AS and TF showed strong enzyme inhibitory activities. The findings indicated that the herbal extracts tested in the present study could be utilized to develop new remedies to manage testosterone-induced diseases such as androgenic alopecia.