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""5a-Hydroxy Laxogenin
5a-Hydroxy Laxogenin is a steroidal sapogenin isolated from Smilax sieboldi, a spirostanic analogue of the brassinosteroid. Brassinosteroids are plant-derived polyhydroxylated derivatives of 5a-cholestane, structurally similar to cholesterol-derived animal steroid hormones and insect ecdysteroids. They are found in small quantities in plants and foods such as pollen, seeds, and leaves. They are similar to animal steroids but function very differently at the cellular level. Plant brassinosteroids signal through a cell surface receptor kinase-mediated signal transduction pathway while animal steroid hormones act through the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors.
Brassinosteroids have a wide array of physiological and pharmacological effects in animals and insects including modulation of protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Research in animals suggest that brassinosteroids can stimulate protein synthesis and inhibit protein degradation in part by inducing Akt phosphorylation. Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that signals downstream of growth factor receptors and phosphoinositide-3 kinase PI3K. Akt stimulates glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, and protein synthesis via Akt/mTOR and Akt/GSK-3β signaling networks and inhibits apoptosis and protein degradation in skeletal muscle by inactivating FoxO transcription factors leading to increased lean mass. In addition, unlike mammalian steroids, brassinosteroids are not hampered by androgenic side effects.
An animal study was conducted to assess the efficacy of the brassinosteroid, 28-Homobrassinolide (HB) on L6 rat skeletal muscle cells (EC50 4 μM). Oral administration of HB (20 or 60 mg/kg/d for 24 d) to healthy rats fed normal diet (protein content 23.9%) increased food intake, body weight gain, lean body mass, and gastrocnemius muscle mass as compared with vehicle-treated controls. The effect of HB administration increased slightly in animals fed a high-protein diet (protein content 39.4%). Both oral (up to 60 mg/kg) and subcutaneous (up to 4 mg/kg) administration of HB showed low androgenic activity and no direct binding to the androgen receptor in vitro. HB treatment was also associated with improved physical fitness of untrained healthy rats, as evident from a 6.7% increase in lower extremity strength, measured by grip test. In the gastrocnemius muscle of castrated animals, HB treatment significantly increased the number of type IIa and IIb fibers and the cross-sectional area of type I and type IIa fibers.
These findings suggest that oral application of HB triggers selective anabolic response with minimal or no androgenic side-effects and begin to elucidate the putative cellular targets for plant brassinosteroids in mammals. Furthermore, they indicate HB dose and time dependently stimulated protein synthesis and inhibited protein degradation in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells (EC50 4 μM), in part by inducing Akt phosphorylation (Fig.1 and Fig. 2)
Unfortunately there is a lack of research and clinical trials on 5a-Hydroxy Laxogenin itself which is why several companies make product claims for Laxogenin based on its steroidal pharmaceutical anabolic counterpart. Although Olympus Labs never made products claims for our Laxogenin products, STR3NGTH and DERMASTR3NGTH based on this other pharmaceutical anabolic data, we did have high hopes based on the data cited above. Since 5a-Hydroxy Laxogenin has been available for a sufficient time period we were able to validate its efficacy as a bodybuilding supplement. Through anecdotal feedback we learned that actual results from STR3NGTH were similar to EP1C, where some users experienced modest strength increases while others experienced little to no results. Fortunately, the transdermal version, DERMASTR3NGTH yielded much better results but still did not coincide with the potential benefits based on the research on Brassinosteroids. We will seek to remedy that as we did with (-)-epicatechin by pairing Laxogenin with the proven PhytoFUSETM technology.
PhytoFUSETM – Enhanced Delivery System
STR3NGTH UNLEASHED and DERMASTR3NGTH UNLEASHED utilize a unique delivery technology, PhytoFUSETM, to enhance the bioavailability and absorption of 5a-Hydroxy Laxogenin. On top of this they help with distribution of the phytoFUSED ingredient in the body! Olympus Labs does not spend copious amounts of money on marketing campaigns, instead we spend available funds on research like the substantial investment in the PhytoFUSETM delivery system.
Research has shown that this method of delivery can enhance potency anywhere from 2x-6x! That means that STR3NGTH UNLEASHED and DERMASTR3NGTH UNLEASHED will be 200 – 600% more potent than any other Laxogenin product on the market! This enhanced delivery system, unique to Olympus Labs, utilizes specific lipids to complex with Laxogenin on a molecular level, allowing for greater solubility and enhanced bioavailability/absorption, helping to effectively shuttle the active ingredient to the intestines where it can be taken up while preventing degradation throughout the process. This means that more ingredient is delivered to the site where it can be utilized effectively, ready to be delivered to the bloodstream and flood your muscles with potent myogenic factors needed to transcend into becoming a demigod!
References:
Iglesias-Arteaga M et al. J. Braz. Chem. Soc. vol.16 no.3a São Paulo May/June 2005. A convenient procedure for the synthesis of 3b-hydroxy-6-oxo-5a-steroids. Application to the synthesis of laxogenin.
Kubo S e al. Phytochemistry. 1992 Jul;31(7):2445-50. Steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of Smilax sieboldii.
Debora E et al. FASEB J. 2011 Oct; 25(10): 3708–3719. doi: 10.1096/fj.11-181271. Anabolic effect of plant brassinosteroid
Kidd P et al. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Sep;10(3):193-203. A review of the bioavailability and clinical efficacy of milk thistle phytosome: a silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex (Siliphos).
Kidd P. Altern Med Rev. 2009 Sep;14(3):226-46. Bioavailability and activity of phytosome complexes from botanical polyphenols: the silymarin, curcumin, green tea, and grape seed extracts. ""
