Ecdysteroids are
arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
steroid hormones that are mainly responsible for
molting
In biology, moulting (British English), or molting (American English), also known as sloughing, shedding, or in many invertebrates, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body (often, but not always, an outer ...
, development and, to a lesser extent, reproduction;
examples of ecdysteroids include
ecdysone
Ecdysone is a prohormone of the major insect molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone, which is secreted from the prothoracic glands. It is of steroidal structure. Insect molting hormones (ecdysone and its homologues) are generally called ecdysteroids. ...
,
ecdysterone,
turkesterone
Turkesterone is a phytoecdysteroid found in numerous plant species, including '' Ajuga turkestanica'', various ''Vitex'' species, ''Triticum aestivum'', and ''Rhaponticum acaule''. Laboratory studies in rodents have not identified anabolic effec ...
and
2-deoxyecdysone. These compounds are synthesized in arthropods from dietary
cholesterol
Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...
upon metabolism by the
Halloween family of
cytochrome P450s. Phytoecdysteroids also appear in many plants mostly as a protection agents (toxins or
antifeedants) against
herbivore
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...
insects.
Ecdysterone has been tested on mammals due to the interest in its potential hypertrophic effect. It has been found to increase hypertrophy in rats at a similar level to some anabolic androgenic steroids and SARM S 1. This is proposed to be through increase of Calcium leading to activation of Akt and protein synthesis in skeletal muscles.
See also
*
Ecdysone receptor
External links
Ecdybase The Ecdysone Handbook - a free online ecdysteroids database
References
Steroids
Insect hormones
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