Estrogenic substances isolated from tuberous roots of the Pueraria mirifica (PM) or white kwao kheur including the purified deoxymiroestrol and miroestrol from the extracts, were investigated for their binding affinity to cytosolic estrogen receptors in porcine uterus and compared to that of estradiol using radioligand binding technique. The binding affinity obtained from competitive binding assay of ten compounds compared by rank order of affinity was deoxymiroestrol>17β-estradiol> diethylstilbestrol (DES) > 17α-ethinylestradiol (17α-EE) > estrone > estriol > miroestrol > coumestrol > genistein > daidzein. This study clearly showed that deoxymiroestrol was the most potential estrogenic substance in white kwao kheur. Its biological activities are being elucidated. Whether it had the strongest estrogenic activities to be of therapeutic benefit for the use of white kwao kheur is under investigation.
Naruemon Sangob, Napassorn Sriputhon, Thitima Kasemsuk, Darawan Pinthong
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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