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Bone turnover and oxidative stress markers in estrogendeficient rats treated with Marantodes pumilum leaves and roots: A comparative study
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the relative changes in bone turnover and oxidative status markers of estrogen-deficient rats treated with Marantodes pumilum var. alata (MPva) leaf and root extracts.
Methods: Thirty-six female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 6), namely: baseline (BL); placebo surgery (PS); ovariectomized control (OVXC); estrogen treatment (ERT); leaf extract treatment (MPv); and root extract treatment (MPr). Rats in all groups, except BL and PS, were ovariectomized to induce menopause. Through the oral route, ERT received 64.5 μg/kg/day estrogen (Premarin®); MPv received 20 mg/kg/day leaf extracts of MPva; MPr received 20 mg/kg/day root extract of MPva; while BL, OVXC, and PS served as untreated controls. At the end of 8 weeks treatment, blood and bone samples were collected for assay of bone turnover markers (osteocalcin and pyridinoline) and oxidative status markers (4-hydroxynonenal, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Significantly higher (p < 0.05) bone level of glutathione peroxidase was seen in MPv when compared with BL and OVXC. MPv also showed lower bone level of pyridinoline (p<0.05) compared to OVXC. Bone level of 4-hydroxynonenal in both MPv and MPr groups was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) when compared with OVXC.
Conclusion: MPva leaf showed more remarkable effects on bone turnover and oxidative stress markers of ovariectomized rats than its roots and estrogen treatment. Thus, the use of MPva leaf, as an alternative to estrogen for treating postmenopausal osteoporosis, would be preferred to its roots.
Keywords: Phytoestrogens, Osteoporosis, Marantodes pumilum