Anthraquinone compounds from Morinda officinalis inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro

A review on therapeutic mechanism of medicinal plants against osteoporosis: effects of phytoconstituents

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disorder that over time results in bone loss and raises the risk of fracture. The condition is frequently silent and only becomes apparent when fractures develop. Osteoporosis is treated with pharmacotherapy as well as non-pharmacological therapies such as mineral supplements, lifestyle changes, and exercise routines. Herbal medicine is frequently used in clinical procedures because of its low risk of adverse effects and cost-effective therapeutic results. In the current review, we have used a thorough strategy to identify some known medicinal plants with anti-osteoporosis capabilities, their origin, active ingredients, and pharmacological information. Furthermore, several signaling pathways, such as the apoptotic pathway, transcription factors, the Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway, and others, are regulated by bioactive components and help to improve bone homeostasis. This review will provide a better understanding of the anti-osteoporotic effects of bioactive components and the concomitant modulations of signaling pathways.

Understanding the mechanistic potential of plant based phytochemicals in management of postmenopausal osteoporosis

Postmenopausal osteoporosis, an epidemic disorder is defined as a loss in bone mineral density and a greater possibility of fractures in older women. It is a multifactorial disease under the control of various genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Insufficiency of estrogen hormone, leads to postmenopausal osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), despite being the most effective treatment, it is associated with the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disorders. This review seeks to compile the most recent information on medicinal plants and natural compounds used to treat and prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. Furthermore, the origin, chemical constituents and the molecular mechanisms responsible for this therapeutic and preventive effect are also discussed. Literature research was conducted using PubMed, Science direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Different plant extracts and pure compounds exerts their antiosteoporotic activity by inhibition of RANKL and upregulation of OPG. RANKL signaling regulates osteoclast formation, characterized by increased bone turnover and osteoprotegrin is a decoy receptor for RANKL thereby preventing bone loss from excessive resorption. In addition, this review also includes the chemical structure of bioactive compounds acting on NFκB, TNF α, RUNX2. In conclusion, we propose that postmenopausal osteoporosis could be prevented or treated with herbal products.

Alizarin: Prospects and sustainability for food safety and quality monitoring applications

Active and intelligent food packaging has emerged to ensure food safety, quality, or spoilage monitoring and extend the shelf life of food. The development of intelligent packaging has accelerated significantly in recent years with a focus on monitoring changes in the quality of packaged products in real-time throughout the food supply chain. As one of the popular natural colorants, alizarin has attracted much consideration due to its excellent functional properties and quality to color change under varying pH. Alizarin is an efficient and cost-effective biomaterial with numerous biological features such as antioxidant, antibacterial, non-cytotoxic, and antitumor. This review focuses on an in-depth summary and prospects for alizarin as a natural and safe colorant that has the potential to be incorporated into intelligent packaging to track the freshness of packaged foodstuffs. The use of alizarin as an intelligent packaging agent shows huge potential for the application of food packaging and brings it one step closer to real-time monitoring of food quality throughout the supply chain. Finally, various limitations and future requirements are discussed to underscore the importance of developing alizarin-based intelligent functional food packaging systems.

M13, an anthraquinone compound isolated from Morinda officinalis promotes the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs by targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling

BACKGROUND

Morinda officinalis (MO) is a herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of osteoporosis. M13, a MO-based anthraquinone compound is known to suppress osteoclast activity. However, whether M13 promotes MSCs osteogenic differentiation and its potential mechanism remains unknown.

PURPOSE

To examine the influence of M13 on MSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation and elucidate the underlying mechanism.

METHODS/STUDY DESIGNS

The effect of M13 exposure on MSCs proliferation was assessed via CCK8 assay, clone formation assay, immunofluorescence, RT-qPCR, and Western blot. The M13-mediated osteogenesis in vitro and ex vivo were evaluated via ALP and Alizarin red S staining, osteogenesis-associated gene (Runx2, Col1a1 and Opn) expression, and fetal limb explants culture. Molecular docking was employed for target signal pathway screening. The potential signaling mechanisms of M13-promoted MSCs osteogenic differentiation were analyzed by introducing XAV939 (Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor).

RESULTS

M13 induced certain obvious positive effects on MSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Treatment with M13 enhanced MSCs viability and clone numbers. Meanwhile, M13 promoted osteogenic gene expression, enhanced ALP intensity and Alizarin red S staining in MSCs. In terms of mechanism, M13 strongly interacted with the docking site of the WNT signaling complex, thereby activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Furthermore, the M13-mediated osteogenic effect was partially inhibited by XAV939 both in vitro and ex vivo, which confirmed that the Wnt/β-catenin axis is a critical regulator of M13-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.

CONCLUSION

Our study elucidated for the first time that M13 significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation of MSCs via stimulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in vitro and ex vivo.Our findings offered new additional evidence to support the MO or M13-based therapy of osteoporosis.

Mechanism of Emodin in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, and autoimmune disease, and its main pathological changes are inflammatory cell infiltration accompanied by the secretion and accumulation of a variety of related cytokines, which induce the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue. Therefore, the modulation of inflammatory cells and cytokines is a key therapeutic target for controlling inflammation in RA. This review details the effects of emodin on the differentiation and maturation of T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and regulatory T cells. In addition, the systematic introduction of emodin directly or indirectly affects proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1, IL-1β, IL-17, IL-19, and M-CSF) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (the secretion of IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and TGF-β) through the coregulation of a variety of inflammatory cytokines to inhibit inflammation in RA and promote recovery. Understanding the potential mechanism of emodin in the treatment of RA in detail provides a systematic theoretical basis for the clinical application of emodin in the future.

Traditional Chinese Medicine as a Promising Strategy for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease Complicated With Osteoporosis

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and osteoporosis (OP) are progressive degenerative diseases caused by multiple factors, placing a huge burden on the world. Much evidence indicates that OP is a common complication in AD patients. In addition, there is also evidence to show that patients with OP have a higher risk of AD than those without OP. This suggests that the association between the two diseases may be due to a pathophysiological link rather than one disease causing the other. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have also proved their common pathogenesis. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, some classic and specific natural Chinese medicines are widely used to effectively treat AD and OP. Current evidence also shows that these treatments can ameliorate both brain damage and bone metabolism disorder and further alleviate AD complicated with OP. These valuable therapies might provide effective and safe alternatives to major pharmacological strategies.

Discovering the main "reinforce kidney to strengthening Yang" active components of salt Morinda officinalis based on the spectrum-effect relationship combined with chemometric methods

Morinda officinalis, a well-known traditional herbal medicine in China, is used to treat deficiency of kidney-yang syndrome. Although this medicine has the property of "reinforcing kidney to strengthening Yang," the chemical constituents responsible for this effect remain to be elucidated. Here, we aimed to identify the main active compounds responsible for reinforcing kidney to strengthening Yang, based on spectrum-effect relationships combined with chemometrics. We used the UPLC-diode array detection method to establish the chromatography fingerprint of M. officinalis. Hydrocortisone-induced and adenine-induced kidney-yang deficiency patterns were established to evaluate the efficacy of M. officinalis. Serum triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyrotropin, testosterone, cortisol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, corticotropin-releasing hormone, and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were determined as pharmacodynamic indices. Analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weight of each index to the total pharmacodynamic contribution. Lastly, the spectrum-effect between the fingerprint and the pharmacological effects were established using grey relational analysis and partial least squares. Our findings indicated that peaks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 20 might represent the main components that positively correlated to the total effect, of which four were identified by comparison with reference standards. The identified components were monotropein (peak 1), deacetyl asperulosidic acid (peak 3), asperulosidic acid (peak 8), and asperuloside (peak 9). Our results suggest that the "reinforce kidney to strengthening Yang" effects were attributable to the combined effects of the multiple chemical components of M. officinalis and provide a valuable method to identify the active "reinforce kidney to strengthening Yang" components of M. officinalis and establish the quality control of M. officinalis.

Effects and mechanisms of natural plant active compounds for the treatment of osteoclast-mediated bone destructive diseases

Bone-destructive diseases, caused by overdifferentiation of osteoclasts, reduce bone mass and quality, and disrupt bone microstructure, thereby causes osteoporosis, Paget's disease, osteolytic bone metastases, and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoclasts, the only multinucleated cells with bone resorption function, are derived from haematopoietic progenitors of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. The regulation of osteoclast differentiation is considered an effective target for the treatment of bone-destructive diseases. Natural plant-derived products have received increasing attention in recent years due to their good safety profile, the preference of natural compounds over synthetic drugs, and their potential therapeutic and preventive activity against osteoclast-mediated bone-destructive diseases. In this study, we reviewed the research progress of the potential antiosteoclast active compounds extracted from medicinal plants and their molecular mechanisms. Active compounds from natural plants that inhibit osteoclast differentiation and functions include flavonoids, terpenoids, quinones, glucosides, polyphenols, alkaloids, coumarins, lignans, and limonoids. They inhibit bone destruction by downregulating the expression of osteoclast-specific marker genes (CTSK, MMP-9, TRAP, OSCAR, DC-STAMP, V-ATPase d2, and integrin av3) and transcription factors (c-Fos, NFATc1, and c-Src), prevent the effects of local factors (ROS, LPS, and NO), and suppress the activation of various signalling pathways (MAPK, NF-κB, Akt, and Ca²⁺). Therefore, osteoclast-targeting natural products are of great value in the prevention and treatment of bone destructive diseases.

Chemistry, Biosynthesis, Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Rubiadin: A Promising Natural Anthraquinone for New Drug Discovery and Development

Anthraquinones (AQs) are found in a variety of consumer products, including foods, nutritional supplements, drugs, and traditional medicines, and have a wide range of pharmacological actions. Rubiadin, a 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl anthraquinone, primarily originates from Rubia cordifolia Linn (Rubiaceae). It was first discovered in 1981 and has been reported for many biological activities. However, no review has been reported so far to create awareness about this molecule and its role in future drug discovery. Therefore, the present review aimed to provide comprehensive evidence of Rubiadin's phytochemistry, biosynthesis, physicochemical properties, biological properties and therapeutic potential. Relevant literature was gathered from numerous scientific databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Google Scholar between 1981 and up-to-date. The distribution of Rubiadin in numerous medicinal plants, as well as its method of isolation, synthesis, characterisation, physiochemical properties and possible biosynthesis pathways, was extensively covered in this review. Following a rigorous screening and tabulating, a thorough description of Rubiadin's biological properties was gathered, which were based on scientific evidences. Rubiadin fits all five of Lipinski's rule for drug-likeness properties. Then, the in depth physiochemical characteristics of Rubiadin were investigated. The simple technique for Rubiadin's isolation from R. cordifolia and the procedure of synthesis was described. Rubiadin is also biosynthesized via the polyketide and chorismate/o-succinylbenzoic acid pathways. Rubiadin is a powerful molecule with anticancer, antiosteoporotic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antimalarial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. The mechanism of action for the majority of the pharmacological actions reported, however, is unknown. In addition to this review, an in silico molecular docking study was performed against proteins with PDB IDs: 3AOX, 6OLX, 6OSP, and 6SDC to support the anticancer properties of Rubiadin. The toxicity profile, pharmacokinetics and possible structural modifications were also described. Rubiadin was also proven to have the highest binding affinity to the targeted proteins in an in silico study; thus, we believe it may be a potential anticancer molecule. In order to present Rubiadin as a novel candidate for future therapeutic development, advanced studies on preclinical, clinical trials, bioavailability, permeability and administration of safe doses are necessary.

Thymoquinone loading into hydroxyapatite/alginate scaffolds accelerated the osteogenic differentiation of the mesenchymal stem cells

Background

Phytochemical agents such as thymoquinone (TQ) have osteogenic property. This study aimed to investigate the synergic impact of TQ and hydroxyapatite on mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Alginate was also used as drug vehicle.

Methods

HA scaffolds were fabricated by casting into polyurethane foam and sintering at 800 °C, and then, 1250 °C and impregnated by TQ containing alginate. The adipose-derived stem cells were aliquoted into 4 groups: control, osteogenic induced-, TQ and osteogenic induced- and TQ-treated cultures. Adipose derived-mesenchymal stem cells were mixed with alginate and loaded into the scaffolds

Results

The results showed that impregnation of HA scaffold with alginate decelerated the degradation rate and reinforced the mechanical strength. TQ loading in alginate/HA had no significant influence on physical and mechanical properties. Real-time RT-PCR showed significant elevation in collagen, osteopontin, and osteocalcin expression at early phase of differentiation. TQ also led to an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity. At long term, TQ administration had no impact on calcium deposition and proliferation rate as well as bone-marker expression.

Conclusion

TQ accelerates the differentiation of the stem cells into the osteoblasts, without changing the physical and mechanical properties of the scaffolds. TQ also showed a synergic influence on differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells.

A high-quality genome assembly of Morinda officinalis, a famous native southern herb in the Lingnan region of southern China

Morinda officinalis is a well-known medicinal and edible plant that is widely cultivated in the Lingnan region of southern China. Its dried roots (called bajitian in traditional Chinese medicine) are broadly used to treat various diseases, such as impotence and rheumatism. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly of M. officinalis using Nanopore single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C technology. The assembled genome size was 484.85 Mb with a scaffold N50 of 40.97 Mb, and 90.77% of the assembled sequences were anchored on eleven pseudochromosomes. The genome includes 27,698 protein-coding genes, and most of the assemblies are repetitive sequences. Genome evolution analysis revealed that M. officinalis underwent core eudicot γ genome triplication events but no recent whole-genome duplication (WGD). Likewise, comparative genomic analysis showed no large-scale structural variation after species divergence between M. officinalis and Coffea canephora. Moreover, gene family analysis indicated that gene families associated with plant-pathogen interactions and sugar metabolism were significantly expanded in M. officinalis. Furthermore, we identified many candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of major active components such as anthraquinones, iridoids and polysaccharides. In addition, we also found that the DHQS, GGPPS, TPS-Clin, TPS04, sacA, and UGDH gene families-which include the critical genes for active component biosynthesis-were expanded in M. officinalis. This study provides a valuable resource for understanding M. officinalis genome evolution and active component biosynthesis. This work will facilitate genetic improvement and molecular breeding of this commercially important plant.

Bioassay-guided isolation and evaluation of anti-osteoporotic polysaccharides from Morinda officinalis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Morinda officinalis is a well-known Chinese tonic herb that has shown clinical efficacy in the treatment of bone disease. However, its anti-osteoporotic potential and the M. officinalis polysaccharides (MOPs) responsible for activity require further investigation.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the anti-osteoporotic effects of different MOP fractions in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and to identify the osteoprotective components by bioassay-guided isolation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MOPs were prepared by hot water and alkali extraction, separated into three fractions (MO50, MO70, and MOB) and evaluated in the classic OVX rat model and in MC3T3-E1 cells for anti-osteoporotic activity.

RESULTS

Administration of MOPs (400 mg/kg/day) provided significant protection against ovariectomy-induced bone loss and biomechanical dysfunction in rats. Treated animals exhibited reduced deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture and lower levels of bone turnover markers. Bioactivity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of two inulin-type fructans from MO50, MOW50-1 and MOP50-2, with potential anti-osteoporotic activities. These consisted of (2 → 1)-linked β-D-fructosyl residues with degrees of polymerization (DP) of 7 and 13, respectively. Furthermore, MOW50-1 promoted osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells by increasing alkaline phosphatase activity.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest very strongly that MOPs, especially MO50 and MOW50-1, may play important roles in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Integration of Zebrafish Model and Network Pharmacology to Explore Possible Action Mechanisms of Morinda officinalis for Treating Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis (OP) is a metabolic bone disease affecting nearly 200 million individuals globally. Morinda officinalis F.C.How (MOH) has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of bone fractures and joint diseases in China. However, it still remains unclear how the compounds in MOH work synergistically for treating OP. In this study, we used prednisolone (PNSL)-induced zebrafish OP model to screen the antiosteoporosis components in MOH. A network pharmacology approach was further proposed to explore the underlying mechanism of MOH on OP. The PNSL-induced zebrafish model validated that two anthraquinones, one iridoid glycoside, and two saccharides exerted antiosteoporotic effect. We constructed the components-targets network and obtained the enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. A total of 26 candidate compounds of MOH and 257 related targets could probably treat OP through regulating osteoclast differentiation and MAPK signaling pathway. Our work developed a strategy to screen the antiosteoporosis components and explore the underlying mechanism of MOH for treating OP at a network pharmacology level.

Indian Morinda species: A review

Morinda is a largest genus of Rubiaceae family, and its 11 species are found in India. In India, plant species are known by several common names as great morinda, Indian mulberry, noni, beach mulberry and cheese fruit. Various Morinda products (capsules, tablets, skin products and fruit juices) are available in the market, used by people for treatment of several health complaints. A diversity of phytochemicals including iridoids, flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, anthraquinones, coumarins, lignanas, noniosides, phenolics and triterpenoids have been reported from Morinda species. Morinda species are used in the treatment of inflammation, cancer, diabetes, psyquiatric disorders, and bacterial and viral infections. The noni fruit juice (Morinda citrifolia) and its products are used clinically in the treatment of cancer, hypertension and cervical spondylosis affecting patients. M. citrifolia fuit juice, with different doses, is used in the maintaining blood pressure and reducing of superoxides, HDL and LDL levels. Similarly, oligosaccharide capsules and tablets of root extract of M. officinalis are recommended as medicine for the treatment of kidney problems and sexual dysfunctions of patients. The toxicological studies revealed that higher doses of fruit juice (4,000 or 5,000 mg/kg) of M. citrifolia for 2 or more months cause toxic effects on liver and kidneys. M. officinalis root extracts (ethanolic and aqueous) are found fully safe during treatment of diseases. A large number of reviews are available on M. citrifolia but very few studies are conducted on other Indian Morinda species. This review reports the comprehensive knowledge on state-wise distribution, botany, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, clinical applications and toxicological evaluations of 11 species of Morinda found in India.

Therapeutic Anabolic and Anticatabolic Benefits of Natural Chinese Medicines for the Treatment of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by increasing osseous fragility and fracture due to the reduced bone mass and microstructural degradation. Primary pharmacological strategies for the treatment of osteoporosis, hormone replacement treatment (HRT), and alendronate therapies may produce adverse side-effects and may not be recommended for long-term usage. Some classic and bone-specific natural Chinese medicine are very popularly used to treat osteoporosis and bone fracture effectively in clinical with their potential value in bone growth and development, but with few adverse side-effects. Current evidence suggests that the treatments appear to improve bone metabolism and attenuate the osteoporotic imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption at a cellular level by promoting osteoblast activity and inhibiting the effects of osteoclasts. The valuable therapies might, therefore, provide an effective and safer alternative to primary pharmacological strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to comprehensively review these classic and bone-specific drugs in natural Chinese medicines for the treatment of osteoporosis that had been deeply and definitely studied and reported with both bone formation and antiresorption effects, including Gynochthodes officinalis (F.C.How) Razafim. & B.Bremer (syn. Morinda officinalis F.C.How), Curculigo orchioides Gaertn., Psoralea corylifolia (L.) Medik Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., Dipsacus inermis Wall. (syn. Dipsacus asperoides C.Y.Cheng & T.M.Ai), Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm., Velvet Antler, Cistanche deserticola Ma, Cuscuta chinensis Lam., Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge., thus providing evidence for the potential use of alternative Chinese medicine therapies to effectively treat osteoporosis.

Characterization of Chemical Component Variations in Different Growth Years and Tissues of Morindae Officinalis Radix by Integrating Metabolomics and Glycomics

Morindae Officinalis Radix (MOR), the dried root of Morinda officinalis F.C. How (Rubiaceae), is a popular food supplement in southeastern China for bone protection, andrological, and gynecological healthcare. In clinical use, 3-4 year old MOR is commonly used and the xylem is sometimes removed. However, there is no scientific rationale for these practices so far. In this study, metabolomics and glycomics were integrated using multiple chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques coupled with multivariate statistical analysis to investigate the qualitative and quantitative variations of secondary metabolome and glycome in different growth years (1-7 years) and tissues (xylem and cortex) of MOR. The results showed that various types of bioactive components reached a maximum between 3 and 4 years of growth and that the xylem contained more potentially toxic constituents but less bioactive components than the cortex. This study provides the chemical basis for the common practice of using 3-4 year old MOR with the xylem removed.

Health functions and structure-activity relationships of natural anthraquinones from plants

Anthraquinone compounds with the anthraquinone ring structure are widely found in traditional Chinese medicines and they are attracting a lot of attention due to their good pharmacological activity. Diversities of anthraquinones depend on their chemical structures, such as the number of anthraquinone rings and the substituents; what's more, the difference in chemical structure determines the difference in physiological activity. Based on results of previous studies, this review summarizes several natural anthraquinones identified from Chinese herbal medicines and their physiological activities including anti-cancer, anti-pathogenic microorganisms, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, anti-osteoporosis, anti-depression, and anti-constipation. The source, effect, model, and action mechanism of the active anthraquinones are described in detail, from which their structure-activity relationship is summarized. By analyzing the relationship between anthraquinone structure and function, we found that, on the whole structure, the anthraquinone ring and anthraquinone glycosides have significant anticancer activity and anti-constipation activity, while for their substituents, anthraquinones substituted by alizarin have significant antioxidant activity and the polarity of the substituents is closely related to their antibacterial activities.

Humulus lupulus L. Extract Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Osteoporosis in Mice and Regulates Activities of Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate the protective effects of Humulus lupulus L. extract (HLE) on osteoporosis mice.

METHODS

In vivo experiment, a total of 35 12-week-old female ICR mice were equally divided into 5 groups: the sham control group (sham); the ovariectomy with vehicle group (OVX); the OVX with estradiol valerate [EV, 0.2 mg/(kg•d)] the OVX with low- or high-dose HLE groups [HLE, 1 g/(kg•d) and 3 g/(kg•d)], 7 in each group. Treatment began 1 week after the ovariectomized surgery and lasted for 12 weeks. Bone mass and trabecular bone mircoarchitecture were evaluated by micro computed tomography, and bone turnover markers in serum were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. In vitro experiment, osteoblasts and osteoclasts were treated with HLE at doses of 0, 4, 20 and 100 µg/mL. Biomarkers for bone formation in osteoblasts and bone resorption in osteoclasts were analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with the OVX group, HLE exerted bone protective effects by the increase of estradiol (P<0.05), the improvement of cancellous bone structure, bone mineral density (P<0.01) and the reduction of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), bone gla-protein, c-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-I) and deoxypyridinoline levels (P<0.01 for all). In vitro experiment, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL promoted the cell proliferation (P<0.01), and increased the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteopontin levels in osteoblasts (both P<0.05). HLE at 100 µg/mL increased the osteoblastic ALP activities, and HLE at all dose enhanced the extracellular matrix mineralization (both P<0.01). Furthermore, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL inhibited osteoclastic TRAP activity (P<0.01), and reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cathepsin K (both P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

HLE may protect against bone loss, and have potentials in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Antiplasmodial Anthraquinones from Medicinal Plants: The Chemistry and Possible Mode of Actions

Malaria killed nearly half a million people in 2015, and 70% of this victims were young children. Malarial chemotherapy makes use of several drugs, each with its own pharmacological limitations, and with parasite resistance being the most challenging. People of low income nations often rely on traditional medicine as a treatment due to limited access to modern healthcare services. Despite uncertainties present in the outcome of traditional medicine, ethnomedicine approach has yielded important lead candidates. The investigation of medicinal plants utilized in the malaria endemic region yielded many antiplasmodial compounds with anthraquinone moiety. This paper describes natural anthraquinones extracted from medicinal plants utilized in traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria. In addition, the insight on structure-activity relationship and their mode of actions are also elaborated.

Rubiadin-1-methyl ether from Morinda officinalis How. Inhibits osteoclastogenesis through blocking RANKL-induced NF-κB pathway

Rubiadin-1-methyl ether (RBM) is a natural anthraquinone compound isolated from the root of Morinda officinalis How. In our previous study, RBM was found to have inhibitory effects on the TRAP activity of osteoclasts, which means that RBM may be a candidate for therapy of bone diseases characterized by enhanced bone resorption. However, the further effect of RBM on osteoclasts and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of RBM isolated from Morinda officinalis How. on osteoclasts derived from bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) and the underlying mechanism in vitro. RBM at the dose that did not affect the viability of cells significantly inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and actin ring formation of osteoclast, while RBM performed a stronger effect at the early stage. In addition, RBM downregulated the expression of osteoclast-related proteins, including nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), cellular oncogene Fos (c-Fos), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) and cathepsin K (CtsK) as shown by Western blot. Furthermore, RBM inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and the degradation of IκBα as well as decreased the nuclear translocation of p65. Collectively, the results suggest that RBM inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption through blocking NF-κB pathway and may be a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of bone diseases characterized by excessive bone resorption.

Demethylbelamcandaquinone B (Dmcq B) Is the Active Compound of Marantodes pumilum var. alata (Blume) Kuntze with Osteoanabolic Activities

Phytoestrogens have attracted considerable attention for their potential in the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Recently, a phytoestrogen-rich herbal plant, Marantodes pumilum var. alata (Blume) Kuntze was reported to protect against bone loss in ovariectomized rat. However, the bioactive compound responsible for these effects and the underlying mechanism were not known. Through bioassay-guided isolation, demethylbelamcandaquinone B (Dmcq B) was isolated and identified from Marantodes pumilum var. alata leaf extract. In terms of its bone anabolic effects, Dmcq B was at par with 17β-estradiol (E2), in promoting the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of osteoblast cells. Dmcq-B increased early differentiation markers, collagen content and enzymatic ALP activity. It was demonstrated to regulate BMP2 signaling pathway which further activated the transcription factor, osterix. Subsequently, Dmcq B was able to increase the osteocalcin expression which promoted matrix mineralization as evidenced by the increase in calcium deposition. Dmcq B also reduced the protein level of receptor activator of NF-κβ ligand (RANKL) and promoted osteoprotegerin (OPG) protein expression by osteoblast cells, therefore hastening bone formation rate by decreasing RANKL/OPG ratio. Moreover, Dmcq B was able to increase ER expression, postulating its phytoestrogen property. As the conclusion, Dmcq B is the active compound isolated from Marantodes pumilum var. alata leaves, regulating osteoanabolic activities potentially through the BMP2 and ER signaling pathways.

Simultaneous Analysis of Iridoid Glycosides and Anthraquinones in Morinda officinalis Using UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS and UPLC-Q/TOF-MSE

Morinda officinalis is an important herbal medicine and functional food, and its main constituents include anthraquinone and iridoid glycosides. Quantification of the main compounds is a necessary step to understand the quality and therapeutic properties of M. officinalis, but this has not yet been performed based on liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Analytes were extracted from M. officinalis by reflux method. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was applied for quantification. Fragmentation pathways of deacetyl asperulosidic acid and rubiadin were investigated based on UPLC with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (Q/TOF-MS) in the MS^E centroid mode. The method showed a good linearity over a wide concentration range (R² ≥ 0.9930). The limits of quantification of six compounds ranged from 2.6 to 27.57 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precisions of the investigated components exhibited an RSD within 4.5% with mean recovery rates of 95.32–99.86%. Contents of selected compounds in M. officinalis varied significantly depending on region. The fragmentation pathway of deacetyl asperulosidic and rubiadin was proposed. A selective and sensitive method was developed for determining six target compounds in M. officinalis by UPLC-MS/MS. Furthermore, the proposed method will be helpful for quality control and identification main compounds of M. officinalis.

Effect of Semelil, an Herbal Selenium-Based Medicine, on New Bone Formation in Calvarium of Rabbits

Background

This study aims to analyze the effect of Semelil, an herbal selenium-based medicine, on osteogenesis in rabbit calvarium defects.

Methods

Four identical bony defects (8 mm) were created in the calvarium of 16 New Zealand male rabbits and filled randomly with xenogenic bone substitute material (Bio-Oss®) and semelil herbal drug (ANGIPARS™). One site was filled with Bio-Oss (B); the second site was treated with ANGIPARS (A); the third site was treated with ANGIPARS + Bio-Oss (AB); and the fourth site was left as untreated control (C) and defects were left unfilled. Rabbits were randomly divided into two groups (n = 8) and sacrificed at four and eight weeks. Percentage of new bone formation, type of the newly formed bone, percentage of the remaining xenograft biomaterial, and foreign body reaction (FBR) were evaluated via histological and histomorphometric analyses.

Results

The percentage of new bone formation was significantly different among four groups. The highest effect was observed in AB, followed by A, B, and C groups, respectively. The difference in the mean percentage of new bone formation between four and eight weeks was significant for all four groups (P < 0.001). Regarding bone formation, the interaction effect of A and B was significant at four (P < 0.001) and eight weeks (P = 0.002). ANGIPARS alone and in presence of Bio-Oss enhanced new bone formation at both four and eight weeks (P < 0.001). The mean amount of new bone formation was significantly different at four and eight weeks in groups C (P = 0.008), A (P < 0.001), B (P < 0.001), and AB (P = 0.003). FBR was not observed in any group.

Conclusion

Semelil may be useful as an adjunct to conventional osteoconductive materials in order to enhance osteogenesis.

Morinda officinalis How. - A comprehensive review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The medicinal plant Morinda officinalisHow. (MO) and its root have long been used in traditional medicines in China and northeast Asia as tonics for nourishing the kidney, strengthening the bone and enhancing immunofunction in the treatment of impotence, osteoporosis, depression and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and dermatitis.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to sum up updated and comprehensive information about traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of MO and provide insights into potential opportunities for future research and development of this plant.

METHODS

A bibliographic investigation was performed by analyzing the information available on MO in the internationally accepted scientific databases including Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Yahoo, Ph.D. and M.Sc. dissertations in Chinese. Information was also obtained from some local and foreign books on ethnobotany and ethnomedicines.

RESULTS

The literature supported the ethnomedicinal uses of MO as recorded in China for various purposes. The ethnomedical uses of MO have been recorded in many regions of China. More than 100 chemical compounds have been isolated from this plant, and the major constituents have been found to be polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, anthraquinones and iridoid glycosides. Crude extracts and pure compounds of this plant are used as effective agents in the treatment of depression, osteoporosis, fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, and infertility due to their anti-depressant, anti-osteoporosis, pro-fertility, anti-radiation, anti-Alzheimer disease, anti-rheumatoid, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, cardiovascularprotective, anti-oxidation, immune-regulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities. Pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated that the main components of MO including monotropein and deacetyl asperulosidic acid are distributed in various organs and tissues. The investigation on acute toxicity and genotoxicity indicated that MO is nontoxic. There have no reports on significant adverse effect at a normal dose in clinical application, but MO at dose of more than 1000mg/kg may cause irritability, insomnia and unpleasant sensations in individual cases.

CONCLUSION

MO has emerged as a good source of traditional medicines. Some uses of this plant in traditional medicines have been validated by pharmacological investigations. However, the molecular mechanism, structure-activity relationship, and potential synergistic and antagonistic effects of its multi-components such as polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, anthraquinones and iridoid glycosides need to be further elucidated, and the structural feature of polysaccharides also need to be further clarified. Sophisticated analytical technologies should be developed to comprehensively evaluate the quality of MO based on HPLC-fingerprint and content determination of the active constituents, knowing that these investigations will help further utilize this plant.

Bioassay-Guided Isolated Compounds from Morinda officinalis Inhibit Alzheimer's Disease Pathologies

Due to the side effects of synthetic drugs, the therapeutic potential of natural products for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has gained interest. Morinda officinalis has demonstrated inhibitory effects on geriatric diseases, such as bone loss and osteoporosis. However, although AD is a geriatric disease, M. officinalis has not been evaluated in an AD bioassay. Therefore, M. officinalis extracts and fractions were tested for AD-related activity, including inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), and advanced glycation end-product (AGE) formation. A bioassay-guided approach led to isolation of 10 active compounds, eight anthraquinones (1–8), one coumarin (9), and one phytosterol (10), from n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of M. officinalis. The five anthraquinones (4–8) were stronger inhibitors of AChE than were other compounds. Compounds 3 and 9 were good inhibitors of BChE, and compounds 3 and 8 were good inhibitors of BACE1. Compounds 1–5 and 7–9 were more active than the positive control in inhibiting AGE formation. In addition, we first suggested a structure-activity relationship by which anthraquinones inhibit AChE and BACE1. Our findings demonstrate the preventive and therapeutic efficacy of M. officinalis for AD and its potential use as a natural alternative medicine.

The Extracts of Morinda officinalis and Its Hairy Roots Attenuate Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Chronic Ulcerative Colitis in Mice by Regulating Inflammation and Lymphocyte Apoptosis

Morinda officinalis is beneficial for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The hairy root with higher genetic and biochemical stability cultured from M. officinalis might have similar effects to treat IBD. In this study, the main chemical composition of the root extracts of M. officinalis (MORE) native plant and the hairy root extract of M. officinalis (MOHRE) was compared by quantitative HPLC. The difference of their therapeutic effects and potential mechanism was evaluated using 3% dextran sodium sulfate-induced chronic colitis in mice and T lymphocytes in vitro. The results found that MOHRE possesses many specific peaks unobserved in the chromatogram of native plant. The content of iridoids in the MORE (3.10%) and MOHRE (3.01%) is somewhat similar but quite different for their anthraquinones’s content (0.14 and 0.66%, respectively). Despite all this, treatment with both MORE and MOHRE significantly attenuated the symptoms of colitis, including diarrhea, body weight loss, colon shortening, histological damage, and decreased inflammatory cytokine levels. In addition, they dose-dependently increased the apoptosis of T lymphocyte in vivo and in vitro. And, the differences for treatment effects on ulcerative colitis (UC) between them both in this study were mostly insignificant. The results demonstrated that the effects of MORE and MOHRE for the treatment of UC are similar, although there are a few difference on their chemical composition, indicating the hairy root cultured from M. officinalis might be able to replace its native plant on treatment of UC. The successful derivation of a sustainable hairy root culture provides a model system to study the synthetic pathways for bioactive metabolites, which will make the use of bioreactors to largely produce traditional medicine become reality.

Bajijiasu Abrogates Osteoclast Differentiation via the Suppression of RANKL Signaling Pathways through NF-κB and NFAT

Pathological osteolysis is commonly associated with osteoporosis, bone tumors, osteonecrosis, and chronic inflammation. It involves excessive resorption of bone matrix by activated osteoclasts. Suppressing receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) signaling pathways has been proposed to be a good target for inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Bajijiasu—a natural compound derived from Morinda officinalis F. C. How—has previously been shown to have anti-oxidative stress property; however, its effect and molecular mechanism of action on osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption remains unclear. In the present study, we found that Bajijiasu dose-dependently inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and bone resorption from 0.1 mM, and reached half maximal inhibitory effects (IC₅₀) at 0.4 mM without toxicity. Expression of RANKL-induced osteoclast specific marker genes including cathepsin K (Ctsk), nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAcP), vacuolar-type H⁺-ATPase V0 subunit D2 (V-ATPase d2), and (matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) was inhibited by Bajijiasu treatment. Luciferase reporter gene studies showed that Bajijiasu could significantly reduce the expression and transcriptional activity of NFAT as well as RANKL-induced NF-κB activation in a dose-dependent manner. Further, Bajijiasu was found to decrease the RANKL-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), inhibitor of κB-α (IκB-α), NFAT, and V-ATPase d2. Taken together, this study revealed Bajijiasu could attenuate osteoclast formation and bone resorption by mediating RANKL signaling pathways, indicative of a potential effect of Bajijiasu on osteolytic bone diseases.

Traditional Chinese medicine formulas for the treatment of osteoporosis: Implication for antiosteoporotic drug discovery

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Osteoporosis is a chronic epidemic which can leads to enhanced bone fragility and consequent an increase in fracture risk. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas have a long history of use in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Antiosteoporotic TCM formulas have conspicuous advantage over single drugs. Systematic data mining of the existing antiosteoporotic TCM formulas database can certainly help the drug discovery processes and help the identification of safe candidates with synergistic formulations. In this review, the authors summarize the clinical use and animal experiments of TCM formulas and their mechanism of action, and discuss the potential antiosteoporotic activity and the active constituents of commonly used herbs in TCM formulas for the therapy of osteoporosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literature was searched from Medline, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Spring Link, Web of Science, CNKI and VIP database from 1989 to 2015, and also collected from Chinese traditional books and Chinese Pharmacopoeia with key words such as osteoporosis, osteoblast, osteoclast, traditional Chinese medicine formulas to identify studies on the antiosteoporotic effects of TCM formulas, herbs and chemical constituents, and also their possible mechanisms.

RESULTS

Thirty-three TCM formulas were commonly used to treat osteoporosis, and showed significant antiosteoporotic effects in human and animal. The herb medicines and their chemical constituents in TCM formulas were summarized, the pharmacological effects and chemical constituents of commonly used herbs in TCM formulas were described in detail. The action mechanisms of TCM formulas and their chemical constituents were described. Finally, the implication for the discovery of antiosteoporotic leads and combinatory ingredients from TCM formulas were prospectively discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical practice and animal experiments indicate that TCM formulas provide a definite therapeutic effect on osteoporosis. The active constituents in TCM formulas are diverse in chemical structure, and include flavonoids, lignans, saponins and iridoid glycosides. Antiosteoporotic mechanism of TCM formulas and herbs involves multi regulatory pathways, such as Wnt/β-catenin, BMP/Smad, MAPK pathway and RANKL/OPG system. Phytochemicals from TCM formulas and their compositional herb medicines offer great potential for the development of novel antiosteoporotic drugs. The active ingredients in TCM formulas can be developed in combination as potent drugs, which may exhibit better antiosteoporotic effects compared to the individual compound.

Polydatin possesses notable anti‑osteoporotic activity via regulation of OPG, RANKL and β‑catenin

This study was designed to investigate the anti‑osteoporotic activity of polydatin and its possible underlying mechanism. Osteoporosis was induced in mice by ovariectomy (OVX) and the mice were divided into 5 groups: An OVX only group, polydatin groups (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) and a sham group (n=10/group). After 12 weeks of treatment, body weight, uterine index and the dry weight of thigh‑bones were recorded. In addition, the serum calcium, serum phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels were also determined. Western blot analysis was then conducted to investigate the possible mechanism underlying the effect of polydatin via determining the expression of OPG, receptor activators of nuclear factor‑κB ligand (RANKL) and β‑catenin in the ST2 cell line. The results indicated that intraperitoneal injection of polydatin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg/day) decreased body weight, and increased uterine index and dry weights of thigh‑bones of ovariectomized mice (P<0.05), and polydatin also significantly increased the serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP and OPG of ovariectomized mice (P<0.05). Results of western blot analysis showed that polydatin upregulated the ratio of OPG/RANKL (P<0.05) and β‑catenin protein in ST2 cells. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that polydatin exhibits anti‑osteoporotic activity via regulating osteoprotegerin, RANKL and β‑catenin.

Natural Products from Chinese Medicines with Potential Benefits to Bone Health

Osteoporosis is a progressive, systemic bone disorder characterized by loss of bone mass and microstructure, leading to reduced bone strength and increased risk of fracture. It is often associated with reduced quality of life and other medical complications. The disease is common in the aging population, particularly among postmenopausal women and patients who receive long-term steroidal therapy. Given the rapid growth of the aging population, increasing life expectancy, the prevalence of bone loss, and financial burden to the healthcare system and individuals, demand for new therapeutic agents and nutritional supplements for the management and promotion of bone health is pressing. With the advent of global interest in complementary and alternative medicine and natural products, Chinese medicine serves as a viable source to offer benefits for the improvement and maintenance of bone health. This review summarizes the scientific information obtained from recent literatures on the chemical ingredients of Chinese medicinal plants that have been reported to possess osteoprotective and related properties in cell-based and/or animal models. Some of these natural products (or their derivatives) may become promising leads for development into dietary supplements or therapeutic drugs.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the medicinal plant Morinda officinalis (Rubiaceae), an endemic to China

The complete chloroplast genome of Morinda officinalis, an endangered and important Chinese medicine with great economic value, has been sequenced in this article. The genome size is 153 398 bp in length, with 38.05% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 51 834 bp) are separated by a large single copy region (LSC, 83 996 bp) and a small single copy region (SSC, 17 566 bp). The chloroplast genome contains 103 unique genes, 80 protein-coding genes, 19 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. In these genes, 8 genes contained 1 intron, and 2 genes comprised of 2 introns.

Secondary metabolites from Rubiaceae species

This study describes some characteristics of the Rubiaceae family pertaining to the occurrence and distribution of secondary metabolites in the main genera of this family. It reports the review of phytochemical studies addressing all species of Rubiaceae, published between 1990 and 2014. Iridoids, anthraquinones, triterpenes, indole alkaloids as well as other varying alkaloid subclasses, have shown to be the most common. These compounds have been mostly isolated from the genera Uncaria, Psychotria, Hedyotis, Ophiorrhiza and Morinda. The occurrence and distribution of iridoids, alkaloids and anthraquinones point out their chemotaxonomic correlation among tribes and subfamilies. From an evolutionary point of view, Rubioideae is the most ancient subfamily, followed by Ixoroideae and finally Cinchonoideae. The chemical biosynthetic pathway, which is not so specific in Rubioideae, can explain this and large amounts of both iridoids and indole alkaloids are produced. In Ixoroideae, the most active biosysthetic pathway is the one that produces iridoids; while in Cinchonoideae, it produces indole alkaloids together with other alkaloids. The chemical biosynthetic pathway now supports this botanical conclusion.

Rapid analysis and identification of multi-class mycotoxins in Morinda officinalis by UFLC-ESI-MS/MS

Simultaneous quantification and identification of multi-class mycotoxins in Morinda officinalis by DAS-UFLC-MS/MS.

Monotropein exerts protective effects against IL-1β-induced apoptosis and catabolic responses on osteoarthritis chondrocytes

Osteoarthritis, characterized by a loss of articular cartilage accompanied with inflammation, is the most common age-associated degenerative disease. Monotropein, an iridoids glycoside isolated from the roots of Morinda officinalis How, has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study, monotropein was firstly to exhibit cartilage protective activity by down regulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the knee synovial fluid in vivo. The anti-apoptotic and anti-catabolic effects of monotropein on rat OA chondrocytes treated by IL-1β were investigated in vitro. In cultured chondrocytes, monotropein attenuated apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in response to IL-1β stimulation. Moreover, treatment with monotropein, the expressions of MMP-3 and MMP-13 were significantly decreased, the expression of COL2A1 was increased. Taken together, these findings suggested that monotropein exerted anti-apoptosis and anti-catabolic activity in chondrocytes, which might support its possible therapeutic role in OA.

Er-xian Decoction exerts estrogen-like osteoprotective effects in vivo and in vitro

Er-xian Decoction (EXD), containing Herba epimedii Maxim (HEP) and Curculigo orchioides Gaertn (XM) as principal drugs, is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula prescribed for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In the present study, the in vivo anti-osteoporosis effects of EXD, HEP and XM on four-month-old ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated. Micro-computed tomography analysis showed that EXD could significantly improve the micro-architectural parameters (BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th, and Tb.Sp) of trabecular bone in the distal femur and proximal tibia in OVX rats (p < 0.05). The biomechanical parameters of the distal femur in rats treated with EXD were also improved significantly (p < 0.05 vs. OVX group). The in vivo efficacy of EXD was found to be superior to HEP or XM alone in improving the bone properties of OVX rats. Treatment of rat osteoblastic-like UMR-106 cells with EXD, HEP, and XM significantly promoted the cell proliferation rate (p < 0.05) with the most promising effects observed in cells treated with EXD (p < 0.001). The proliferative effect in UMR-106 cells induced by EXD, HEP, and XM were abolished in the presence of the estrogen antagonist, ICI182780, suggesting that their effects were mediated by estrogen receptor (ER). Additionally, EXD could activate ER-α and ER-β mediated estrogen-response element (ERE)-dependent luciferase activity as well as phosphorylate ER-α at serine 118 in UMR-106 cells. Taken together, EXD offered better osteoprotective effects than its single principal herb, and the beneficial effects of EXD in preventing bone deteriorations are, at least partially, through the ER signaling pathway.

The role of small molecules in bone regeneration

Although several methods have been used in bone regeneration medicine, current methods still have many limitations. The tissue used for autogenous bone graft is limited and allograft has weak osteoinductive activity. Tissue engineering provides a good choice for bone regeneration. However, the growth factors needed have a high price and short half-life. Recently, a number of small molecules have been confirmed to have osteoinductive activity and some have been clinically used. Natural small molecules including decalpenic acid, flavonoids, quinones can be extracted from plants and others can be synthesized according to the structure designed or mimicking the structure of natural small molecules. Small molecules can act as co-activator of BMP2 pathway or activate Wnt pathway; others can be the inhibitors of NF-κB signaling pathway. This review gives an overview on the small molecules with osteoinductive activity and discusses the mechanism of the small molecules.

Streamlined pretreatment and GC-FPD analysis of multi-pesticide residues in perennial Morinda roots: a tropical or subtropical plant

In this study, a simple and rapid multi-pesticide residues analytical method has been developed and evaluated for simultaneous identification and quantification of 30 organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) present at trace levels in perennial Morinda roots. Samples were firstly extracted and cleaned up with a streamlined method (modified QuEChERS), and then detected by gas chromatography with flame photometric detector (GC-FPD). For accurate quantification, representative matrix-matched calibration curves were applied to compensate matrix effects. Reasonable linearity was found in the concentration ranges of 0.04 and 1.28 μg mL(-1), with correlation coefficients r better than 0.9921 (0.9921-0.9998). The limits of detection (LODs) were between 0.005 and 0.02 μg mL(-1) for all investigated pesticides, while the limits of quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 0.01-0.04 μg mL(-1), below the regulatory maximum residue limits (MRL) suggested. Acceptable quantitative recoveries of 75.01-118.89% (96.0% on average) were achieved with relative standard deviations (RSD) varying from 0.89% to 9.80% (5.39% on average) at three different concentration levels of 0.05, 0.1 and 1.0 mg kg(-1). Out of all 40 batches of real samples, only fenitrothion was found in two samples, which was successfully confirmed by GC-MS. Based on these results, this analytical method has been proven to be fast, robust, accurate, selective, sensitive and easy to operate in the analysis of multiple pesticide residues in Morinda roots. Meanwhile, it also draws attention to the need of pesticide monitoring programs in local soils.

Potential antiosteoporotic agents from plants: a comprehensive review

Osteoporosis is a major health hazard and is a disease of old age; it is a silent epidemic affecting more than 200 million people worldwide in recent years. Based on a large number of chemical and pharmacological research many plants and their compounds have been shown to possess antiosteoporosis activity. This paper reviews the medicinal plants displaying antiosteoporosis properties including their origin, active constituents, and pharmacological data. The plants reported here are the ones which are commonly used in traditional medical systems and have demonstrated clinical effectiveness against osteoporosis. Although many plants have the potential to prevent and treat osteoporosis, so far, only a fraction of these plants have been thoroughly investigated for their physiological and pharmacological properties including their mechanism of action. An attempt should be made to highlight plant species with possible antiosteoporosis properties and they should be investigated further to help with future drug development for treating this disease.

Monotropein isolated from the roots of Morinda officinalis ameliorates proinflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 macrophages and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis via NF-κB inactivation

We previously demonstrated that monotropein isolated from the roots of Morinda officinalis (Rubiaceae) has anti-inflammatory effects in vivo. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of monotropein in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Monotropein was found to inhibit the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Treatment with monotropein decreased the DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Consistent with these findings, monotropein also suppressed phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitory κB-α (IκB-α), and consequently the translocations of NF-κB. In the DSS-induced colitis model, monotropein reduced disease activity index (DAI), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and inflammation-related protein expressions by suppressing NF-κB activation in colon mucosa. Taken together, these findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of monotropein are mainly related to the inhibition of the expressions of inflammatory mediators via NF-κB inactivation, and support its possible therapeutic role in colitis.

The effect of semelil (angipars®) on bone resorption and bone formation markers in type 2 diabetic patients

Background and purpose of the study

Diabetes mellitus has been recognized as a major risk factor for osteoporosis in which bone turnover is affected by different mechanisms. As the morbidity, mortality and financial cost related to osteoporosis are expected to rise in Iran in coming years, and considering the efficacy of Angipars® for improvement of different ulcers which made it a new herbal drug in diabetic foot ulcer, there is a need to evaluate the effect of this new drug on different organs including bone resorption and bone formation markers.

Methods

In this randomized, double- blind clinical trial, 61 diabetic patients were included. The subjects were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Subjects of intervention group received 100 mg of Angipars® twice a day. Laboratory tests including bone resorption and bone formation markers were performed at baseline and after 3 months.

Result

31 patients in study group and 30 patients in control group finished the study. The mean age of the study population and the mean disease duration was respectively 51.8 ± 6.2 and 7.5 ± 4.7 years with no significant differences between intervention and control patients. No statistically significant differences between patients and controls were observed in pyridinoline, osteocalcin, urine calcium, bone alkaline phosphatase and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). Only urine creatinine level significantly changed between two groups after 3 month of treatment (p-value: 0.029)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that Semelil (Angipars®) had no beneficial or harmful effects on bone. It might be other effects of this new component on bone turnover process which need more studies and more time to be discovered.

Comparative effects of er-xian decoction, epimedium herbs, and icariin with estrogen on bone and reproductive tissue in ovariectomized rats

Er-Xian Decoction (EXD), Epimedium herbs (herbs of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, EBH), and icariin (ICA) have been proven to have estrogen-like and antiosteoporotic activity and are used for the treatment of osteoporosis, menopausal syndrome, and age-associated diseases. The present study found that EXD, EBH, and ICA treatments, emulating estrogen, significantly contributed to bone density and architecture in OVX rats and that EXD is similar to estrogen and exerts a concomitant effect on bone formation and bone resorption at the tissue level, while EBH and ICA produced bone-protective effects mainly by inhibiting bone resorption. Nevertheless, EXD, EBH, and ICA treatments manifested a fewer adverse effects on the uterus, mammary gland, and vagina compared to estrogen administrations. Among the EXD, EBH, and ICA, EXD was found to have superior efficacy and safety profile.