An improved process for the extraction of pygeum from the plant of the family rosacaea, amygdales tribe, genus Prunus species domestica (Indian Prunus) and related species (as herein defined) comprising the steps of collecting the plant material i.e. stem cuttings/twigs, removing the leaves and drying till moisture content is about 10-15%, powdering the stem material, extracting with chlorinated organic solvents and water-alcohol mixture, in ratio of 1:4, filtering and drying the extract under vacuum at 30 degree Celsius to obtain a greenish mass with bitter almond smell, the mass being referred to as ‘pygeum’ wherein in the improved process, a ‘renewable plant source’ i.e. stem cuttings/twigs, are used for extraction of pygeum instead of a ‘non-renewable’ source such as bark of the tree. The pygeum obtained by the new process has a pharmacopeia profile similar to the product ‘pygeum’ obtained from a ‘non-renewable source’ i.e. bark of Pygeum africanum. Further, it is non-toxic and shows anti-BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) activity comparable with that of pygeum obtained from non-renewable source i.e. bark of Prunus Africana.
