Turkesteron

Turkesterone belongs to the ecdysteroid family. In addition to "Turkesterone", the two substances "ecdysone " and "ecdysterone" are probably the best-known ecdysteroids. These three are the best-studied representatives of the ecdysteroid family, whereby each ecdysteroid basically has the same general properties. However, there appear to be differences in potency and effect, which also plays an important role when taken as a dietary supplement. Turkesterone appears to be one of the most potentially anabolic ecdysteroids researched to date (1).

Ecdysteroids are a class of compounds (polyhydroxylated ketosteroids with different ends) that are structurally relatively similar to the group of androgens. Ecdysteroids are relatively well researched today due to their function as growth substances for plants and insects. According to current scientific knowledge, they are found in only six percent of all plants discovered. In insects, on the other hand, they are much more common. Here, their function is primarily in the process of moulting or shedding shells to enable further growth of an insect. Ecdysteroids also owe their name to this fact: it is derived from the term ecdysis, which means moulting.

Turkesterone itself is obtained from the plant Ajuga Turkestanica (2). This thistle-like plant is native to Central Asia. However, it is also relatively common in the Eurasian region. It can be found in the wild, particularly in southern Siberia, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan. Turkesterone serves to protect the Ajuga Turkestanica plant from predatory insects. These seem to refrain from eating the plant due to the active ingredient.

Ecdysteroids also have a biological effect on mammals when ingested orally. Researchers have described them as "similar to anabolic steroids, but without an androgenic effect" (3). This lack of androgenic effect is a key difference as it could increase the potential safety profile of ecdysteroids over actual anabolic steroids, making them significantly safer.

Currently, only one study by the Free University of Berlin suggests that ecdysteroids could trigger an anabolic effect in the human body (4). However, this study commissioned by the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) did not examine Turkesterone in particular, but the related phytoecysteroid ecdysterone. Those study participants who consumed significant amounts of ecdysterone over a period of ten weeks were able to demonstrate significant increases in strength compared to a comparison group (placebo).

Due to the anabolic effect observed, the authors of the study recommended that ecdysterone be added to the list of banned substances and methods in sport. In this context, they classified ecdysterone as "other anabolic steroids" (3). The results of this study are supported by numerous in vitro studies on human muscle fibers, as well as a large number of animal models. Here, the improved growth rate of body mass when taking ecdysteroids has been shown several times (1,3,5)

In addition, the intake of ecdysteroids appears to have numerous positive side effects. Ecdysteroids have properties that may lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels (6,7). They have also been cited as beneficial for the immune system and liver, as they may increase the rate of protein synthesis and may even have protective effects on nerve tissue (7,8).

Sources:

(1) Syrov VN, Kurmukov AG, Sakhibov AD. Vliianie turkesterona i nerobola na aktivnost' beloksinteziruiushcheĭ sistemy pecheni mysheĭ [Effect of turkesterone and nerobol on the activity of the protein synthesizing system of mouse liver]. Vopr Med Khim. 1978 Jul-Aug;24(4):456-60. russian. PMID: 685188
(2) Guibout, L., Mamadalieva, N., Balducci, C., Girault, J. P., & Lafont, R. (2015). The minor ecdysteroids from Ajuga turkestanica. Phytochemical Analysis, 26(5), 293-300.
(3) Gorelick-Feldman J, Cohick W, Raskin I. Ecdysteroids elicit a rapid Ca2+ flux leading to Akt activation and increased protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells. Steroids. 2010 Oct;75(10):632-7. doi: 10.1016/j.steroids.2010.03.008. Epub 2010 Apr 2. PMID: 20363237; PMCID: PMC3815456.
(4) Isenmann, E., Ambrosio, G., Joseph, J. F., Mazzarino, M., de la Torre, X., Zimmer, P., ... & Parr, M. K. (2019). Ecdysteroids as non-conventional anabolic agent: performance enhancement by ecdysterone supplementation in humans. Archives of toxicology, 93(7), 1807-1816.
(5) Syrov VN. K mekhanizmu anabolicheskogo deĭstviia fitoékdisteroidov v organizme mlekopitaiushchikh [Mechanism of the anabolic action of phytoecdisteroids in mammals]. Nauchnye Doki Vyss Shkoly Biol Nauki. 1984;(11):16-20. Russian. PMID: 6525371.
(6) Buniam J, Chukijrungroat N, Rattanavichit Y, Surapongchai J, Weerachayaphorn J, Bupha-Intr T, Saengsirisuwan V. 20-Hydroxyecdysone ameliorates metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction in high-fat-high-fructose-fed ovariectomized rats. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2020 May 6;20(1):140. doi: 10.1186/s12906-020-02936-1. PMID: 32375750; PMCID: PMC7203795.
(7) Lafont R, Dinan L. Practical uses for ecdysteroids in mammals including humans: an update. J Insect Sci. 2003;3:7. doi: 10.1093/jis/3.1.7. PMID: 15844229; PMCID: PMC524647.
(8) Catalan RE, Aragones MD, Godoy JE, Martinez AM. Ecdysterone induces acetylcholinesterase in mammalian brain. Comp Biochem Physiol C Comp Pharmacol Toxicol. 1984;78(1):193-5. doi: 10.1016/0742-8413(84)90068-9. PMID: 6146468.