Bulbine Natalensis

I am very interested in this supplement. Anybody know anything about it?

Sounded like an illness or some kind of syndrome and now I see its a supplement :lol:

I did quite a bit of reading on this a while ago. It definitely works as a natural testosterone booster. The numbers were very impressive. Way better than the stuff we generally use like DAA and tribulus. Apparently it's been used in natural medicine in central and west Africa for donkey's years along with another herb called fadogia agrestis which has been used as a natural rememedy in Nigeria for errectile dysfunction. Turns out that also increases testosterone levels.

I read something very interesting I think from Anthony Roberts (not a big fan of him). Not sure which one of the 2 herbs it was but once you start going over a certain dose it starts decreasing your testosterone levels and there isn't much margin for error. These herbs are sold as ingredients in the 'natural' PCT supps on another big steroid forum but they charge a crapload for them and are not as effective as regular HCG and nolva/clomid. There is just not enough clinical data to know what that shit really does to you and if it has any long term adverse effects.

I found someone in Hermanus who can supply the stuff. It is completely legal but you basically get the bush and have to go through a huge schlep to extract the stuff. I haven't seen it in any local supplements.

If you are in the mood for a bit of reading MA here is some very nice info I found.

Interactions with Hormones

3.1. Testosterone

One study has been conducted with male Wistar rats fed Bulbine Natalensis (aqueous extract of the stem), which found increases in circulating testosterone with doses of 25, 50, and 100mg/kg bodyweight.[3] The parameters of interest were not dose-dependent, and followed a bell curve; with 50mg/kg bodyweight being the most effective, followed by 25mg/kg and then 100mg/kg bodyweight.[3]

With the control group just below 1ng/mL circulating testosterone, the most effective dose (50mg/kg) increased testosterone to approximately 3.3ng/mL (day 1), 4.2ng/mL (day 7), and 4.4ng/mL (day 14).[3] Testicular levels of testosterone followed a similar pattern, and in both blood and testes the best dosage was 50mg/kg followed by 25mg/kg and then 100mg/kg.[3]

Other studies looking at testosterone levels note increases of up to 346% of control level in male rats at 50mg/kg bodyweight,[7] although 100mg/kg has been associated with a non-significant decline in testosterone levels below control.[7][5]

Testosterone is reliably enhanced in rats, and fairly potently as well. However, the higher dosages of 100mg/kg appear to be either as potent at 25mg/kg or worse than nothing at all, decreasing testosterone. Dose is very important here, and a toxicological bell curve exists
Mechanistically, supplementation of the active dose (25-50mg/kg bodyweight Bulbine Natalensis) is associated with an increase in the activities of alkaline and acid phosphatases.[3] The activity of the phosphatase enzymes correlates somewhat with increases in testicular and serum testosterone.[3]

Increased testicular size (2-2.9 fold higher than control) as well as increased content of glycogen, protein, and sialic acid has been noted in rat testes alongside increased testicular testosterone levels, after about 7-14 days of supplementation.[3]


3.2. Lutenizing Hormone

LH has been shown to be increased with Bulbine Natalensis in male rats, and appears to be more drastic over time rather than an acute effect. The one study that noted increases in LH noted that the best dose (50mg/kg bodyweight) increased LH to 2ng/mL (with control around 0.6ng/mL) at day 1, but to 7ng/mL on day 14.[3]

Luteinizing hormone does not appear to be influenced in female rats.[7]


3.3. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is also increased in male rats following consumption of Bulbine Natalensis, and similar to Luteinizing Hormone seems to be more effective over a longer period of time but with less variance over time.[3] Increases from 7+/-0.2ng/mL to 11.2+/-0.08ng/mL have been noted with 50mg/kg bodyweight.[7]

FSH does not appear to be changed in female rats.[7]


3.4. Progesterone

Increases in progesterone have been noted with 25mg/kg (+31%) and 50mg/kg (+70%). A decrease of 41% is seen with 100mg/kg bodyweight Bulbine Natalensis.[7]

Progresterone does not appear to be influenced in female rats.[7]


3.5. Prolactin

Doses of 25, 50, and 100mg/kg bodyweight in rats does not appear to significantly influence prolactin concentrations in serum of either rat gender.[7]


3.6. Estrogen

Estrogen appears to be decreased in male rats after supplementation of Bulbine Natalensis decreasing to 79.7% of control at 25mg/kg, 65.1% of control at 50mg/kg bodyweight, and 76.7% of control at 100mg/kg bodyweight.[7] Circulating estradiol levels are not affected in female rats.[7]

3) Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Anabolic and androgenic activities of Bulbine natalensis stem in male Wistar rats. Pharm Biol. (2010)
4)Pather N, Viljoen AM, Kramer B. A biochemical comparison of the in vivo effects of Bulbine frutescens and Bulbine natalensis on cutaneous wound healing. J Ethnopharmacol. (2011)
5)Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Effect of aqueous extract of Bulbine natalensis (Baker) stem on the sexual behaviour of male rats. Int J Androl. (2009)
6)Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Effect of aqueous extract of Bulbine natalensis Baker stem on haematological and serum lipid profile of male Wistar rats. Indian J Exp Biol. (2009)
7)Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Reproductive toxicologic evaluations of Bulbine natalensis Baker stem extract in albino rats. Theriogenology. (2009)

@Pyroclasm, thanks Bru it definately does make a good read.

Let me know if samples are available for testing.

Regards

Pleasure bro but you will need to help us find the stuff cause it's really hard to come by..

That study does make it sound very appealing but I would be a bit apprehensive about using it considering the lack of info available about it's effects and side effects in humans.