Pygeum (Prunus africana)
Protecting a powerful prostate remedy

by Evelyn Leigh, Herb Research Foundation

Pygeum has received more than its share of international attention lately. Relatively unknown outside of Africa until recent years, the tree has gained a solid reputation for helping to maintain and improve prostate health. But unfortunately, increased awareness of pygeum’s value is proving destructive to the plant itself. As international demand for pygeum bark escalates, conservationists fear that non-sustainable harvesting may bring a species already stressed by deforestation to the brink of extinction.

After centuries of traditional African use, in the 1960s pygeum came to the attention of French scientists, who began to investigate its benefits in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH, or prostate enlargement, is an extremely common condition that affects up to half of men between the ages of 40 and 60, causing a variety of troublesome urinary symptoms. Today, pygeum is the favorite natural remedy for BPH in France and is also widely used in Italy and Germany. In the U.S., while the herb is still second in popularity to saw palmetto, demand for pygeum is on the rise.

To date, more than 26 modern clinical studies have documented pygeum’s effectiveness in relieving symptoms of BPH, including urinary frequency, incomplete emptying of the bladder, impaired urinary flow, and nighttime urination. Most recently, a study conducted in Central Europe showed that pygeum’s benefits were sustained for at least one month after treatment ended. Pygeum is often used in combination with other herbs beneficial to prostate health, such as saw palmetto, nettle root, and pumpkin seed. In various regions of Africa, the bark has been employed for treating chest pain, malaria, inflammation, fever, and kidney disease, as well as bladder pain and BPH. In South Africa, the bark is brewed into a decoction, sometimes in milk, for the relief of urinary tract symptoms.

A native of high, forested regions of Africa, pygeum is an evergreen tree with leathery leaves, deeply fissured gray or dark brown bark, and small, creamy-white flowers. Mature trees can reach heights of up to 150 feet. When ripe, pygeum fruit (technically called a drupe) looks something like a cherry. In fact, as a member of the rose family, pygeum is closely related to cherries, plums, almonds and other rose family plants in the genus Prunus. More than 200 Prunus species are distributed around the world, but pygeum (also known as African prune) is the only one native to Africa. Pygeum’s natural range includes mountainous areas of South Africa, Madagascar, Cameroon, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zaire. The plant is esteemed not only for its medicinal properties, but also for its hard, durable wood, which is used in the construction of wagons, axe handles, farm tools, dwellings, and veneers and paneling for the export market.

Unfortunately, recent widespread destruction of mature pygeum forests in Madagascar and Cameroon has threatened the survival of this valuable wild tree. Overenthusiastic harvesting to meet international demand, particularly the destructive practice of felling trees to facilitate bark stripping, is taking a grave toll. Pygeum is a slow-growing tree, and government efforts to protect it have been well intentioned but less than successful. Sustainable pygeum harvest entails taking only small patches of bark at a time, giving the tree time to recover before further harvest. Not surprisingly, the temptation to increase bark yield by overharvesting proves too great for some collectors.

Pygeum is now listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This international treaty, supported by 146 member nations, helps monitor and protect endangered plants and animals in trade. Appendix II listing helps ensure survival of wild species while protecting trade interests through the use of a system of export permits. In the meantime, the price of pygeum bark on the international market has become so high that many dietary supplement manufacturers have begun to substitute less expensive alternatives, such as nettle root, in their prostate health formulas.

Growing a future for pygeum

On the brighter side, the continuing demand for pygeum in the U.S. and Europe presents an excellent opportunity for A-SNAPP participants. A rich opportunity for sustainable pygeum production exists in South Africa, Madagascar, Cameroon, and other nations. Future A-SNAPP plans include a pilot project that will first monitor the harvest of bark so that trees are not killed, and next start plantations of young trees that will ultimately serve as a sustainable, long-term future source of this important botanical – not only for the dietary supplement market, but for use in traditional African medicine.

A Primer on Market Research

By Justin Laboe, Herb Research Foundation

Editor’s Note: The following article is an excerpt. To access the full article, please look for it on the A-SNAPP resource page.

Any person or business involved in the production, distribution, or sale of natural plant products needs information to help them make important business decisions. Farmers need to know what to grow and how much; traders, wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers need to know fair prices for the products they buy; and retailers need to know what products people want. Market research is intended to provide this information. Because of the wide variety of uses—and users—of information, there are many different types of market research. To help make sense of all the available information, it can be helpful to classify market research into the four categories described below.

Consumer Research
Consumer research analyzes the people who purchase products, defining who they are, where they live, why they buy the products, what other related products they buy, and how much money they are willing to spend. This research is used by people responsible for getting a product into the hands of the consumer. Consumer research is usually compiled from surveys of randomly selected individuals or households within a specific geographic area.

Industry Research
Industry research broadly refers to any systematic gathering of information designed to help businesses throughout the entire "value chain"—the producers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and retailers who add value (i.e., price) to the final product purchased by consumers. Some research is descriptive in nature, such as directories of businesses or "case studies" of individual businesses. Other industry research is more analytical and quantitative. This research might try to estimate the total value of all retail sales of a particular herb or all natural products, total wholesale values, or the sum of all money received by farmers that grow the herb (termed "farm value"). Methodologies for this type of research vary widely.

Trade Research
Trade research is that which specifically addresses wholesale markets of goods such as natural products. This type of research can include "spot prices" that report wholesale prices for a product at a specific point in time. Private market research firms and government agricultural marketing agencies often generate this kind of market report. A-SNAPP also generates spot-price reports for many herbs. Information about international trade in products is also available from various government agencies.

Production Research
Production research is essential for farmers, wild harvesters, and producer associations to plan future production and allocate scarce resources into projects that are most likely to yield the highest return for their efforts. It is important for farmers to share production statistics for their crops. This provides a powerful knowledge base from which farmers and producer groups can coordinate production and reduce the risk of producing more of a specific product than the market demands.