Protective Effects of Selected Botanical Agents on Bone

James Jam Jolly, Kok-Yong Chin, Ekram Alias, Kien Hui Chua and Ima Nirwana Soelaiman
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James Jam Jolly: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras 56000, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kok-Yong Chin: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras 56000, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ekram Alias: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras 56000, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kien Hui Chua: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras 56000, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ima Nirwana Soelaiman: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras 56000, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: Osteoporosis is a serious health problem affecting more than 200 million elderly people worldwide. The early symptoms of this disease are hardly detectable. It causes progressive bone loss, which ultimately renders the patients susceptible to fractures. Osteoporosis must be prevented because the associated fragility fractures result in high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Many plants used in herbal medicine contain bioactive compounds possessing skeletal protective effects. This paper explores the anti-osteoporotic properties of selected herbal plants, including their actions on osteoblasts (bone forming cells), osteoclasts (bone resorbing cells), and bone remodelling. Some of the herbal plant families included in this review are Berberidaceae, Fabaceae, Arecaceae, Labiatae, Simaroubaceaea, and Myrsinaceae. Their active constituents, mechanisms of action, and pharmaceutical applications were discussed. The literature shows that very few herbal plants have undergone human clinical trials to evaluate their pharmacological effects on bone to date. Therefore, more intensive research should be performed on these plants to validate their anti-osteoporotic properties so that they can complement the currently available conventional drugs in the battle against osteoporosis.

Keywords: bone remodelling; complementary therapies; herbal medicine; osteoblast; osteoclast (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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