Abstract
Osteoporosis is an aging-related disease and a worldwide health issue. Current therapeutics have failed to reduce the prevalence of osteoporosis in the human population, thus the discovery of compounds with bone anabolic properties that could be the basis of next generation drugs is a priority. Marine plants contain a wide range of bioactive compounds and the presence of osteoactive phytochemicals was investigated in two halophytes collected in Brittany (France): the invasive Spartina alterniflora and the native Salicornia fragilis. Two semi-purified fractions, prepared through liquid-liquid extraction, were assessed for phenolic and flavonoid contents, and for the presence of antioxidant, mineralogenic and osteogenic bioactivities. Ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) was rich in phenolic compounds and exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. While S. fragilis EAF only triggered a weak proliferative effect in vitro, S. alterniflora EAF potently induced extracellular matrix mineralization (7-fold at 250 μg/mL). A strong osteogenic effect was also observed in vivo using zebrafish operculum assay (2.5-fold at 10 μg/mL in 9-dpf larvae). Results indicate that polyphenol rich EAF of S. alterniflora has both antioxidant and bone anabolic activities. As an invasive species, this marine plant may represent a sustainable source of molecules for therapeutic applications in bone disorders.
Highlights
Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease affecting 200 million people worldwide [1]
Ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of both species were rich in phenolic compounds, Total Phenolic Content (TPC) was more than 2 times higher in S. fragilis EAF (Table 1)
Phenolic compounds were 13 times higher in S. fragilis EAF compared to Crude extract (CE) (262.02 ± 1.49 vs. 20.18 ± 0.36 mg GAE g−1 DW, respectively) but only 5 times in S. alterniflora EAF (117.74 ± 3.42 vs. 21.96 ± 0.62 mg GAE g−1 DW, respectively; Table 1)
Summary
Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease affecting 200 million people worldwide [1]. It is characterized by a gradual loss of bone that results from an unbalanced remodeling process, where bone formation by osteoblasts does not compensate bone resorption by osteoclasts [2]. Disease progression is characterized by an altered bone microarchitecture with an increased risk of fracture, often resulting in a reduced well-being and increased mortality [3]. Therapeutic or preventive strategies capable of promoting bone formation are limited. Halophytes Antioxidant and Anabolic Activities and Teriparatide is the only bone anabolic treatment currently licensed for osteoporosis [5]. Current scenario highlights the urging need for the discovery of novel anabolic compounds with pharmaceutical or nutraceutical value
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