Table 1.
Summary of in vivo studies for the antiosteoporotic effects of natural Chinese medicine.
| TCM | Compound | Animal model | Beneficial effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gynochthodes officinalis (F.C.How) Razafim. & B.Bremer (syn. Morinda officinalis F.C.How) | MO extract | OVX rats | BMC, BMD, serum P, Ca2+ and OPG↑ AKP and TRAP ↓(Li et al., 2009; Li et al., 2014b) |
| Disuse OP rats | tibia BMD, histomorphometrical parameters↑ osteoblasts↑ osteoclast ↓ (Seo et al., 2005) | ||
| polysaccharides Monotropein | OVX rats | BMC, BMD, mineral element levels↑ (Zhu et al., 2008; Zhang et al., 2016c) | |
| Curculigo orchioides | CO extract | OVX rats | BMC, BMD, and serum OPG↑ serum DPD/Cr, TRAcP ↓(Cao et al., 2008) |
| rabbits | bone defects↓ (Wong et al., 2007a) | ||
| Psoralea corylifolia | PC extract | OVX rats | BMD, ash weight and calcium content↑ (Tsai et al., 2007) |
| rachitic rats | serum phosphorus, bone calcification and hyperosteoidosis ↑ (Miura et al., 1996) | ||
| Bavachin, bakuchiol | OVX rats | BMD, trabecular parameters↑ (Lim et al., 2009; Weng et al., 2015) | |
| Psoralen | BV, Tb. Th, osteocalcin ↑ (Yang et al., 2012) | ||
| Eucommia ulmoides | EU cortex extract | OVX rats | BMD, biomechanical parameters and microarchitecture↑ (Zhang et al., 2009; Pan et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2014) |
| disused OP rats | |||
| TL | OVX rats | ||
| EU leaf extract | OVX rats | BMD, biomechanical parameters, serum OC↑ (Zhang et al., 2012) | |
| EU seed extract | healthy rats | BMD, microarchitecture↑ (Li et al., 2011) | |
| Dipsacus inermis | RD extract | healthy rats | bone density, bone histomorphology↑ (Wong et al., 2007b) |
| RDE RTS | OVX rats | BMD, BMC, microstructure, Young’s modulus, serum OC and ALP↑ (Liu et al., 2009; Niu et al., 2012; Liu et al., 2012b; Niu et al., 2015a) | |
| Disuse OP rats | |||
| Cibotium barometz | CB extract | OVX rats | BMD, bone strength, bone metaphysis↑ (Zhao et al., 2011) |
| Velvet Antler | blood | OVX rats | BMD, IGF-1, testosterone↑ (Yang et al., 2010a) |
| VA and blood combination | OVX rats | Microarchitecture, strength, serum ALP↑ (Tseng et al., 2012) | |
| TVAPL | OVX rats | BWC, BMC, BMD, microarchitecture↑ (Zhang et al., 2013) | |
| Cistanche deserticola | CD extract | OVX rats | BMD, BMC, biomechanical parameters↑ (Liang et al., 2011) E2, Smad1, Smad5, TGF-β1 and TIEG1↑ (Liang et al., 2013) |
| Echinacoside | OVX rats | BMD, microarchitecture and biomechanical parameters↑ (Li et al., 2013a) | |
| Cuscuta chinensis | Kaempferol | OVX rats | BMD, Young’s modulus↑(Nowak et al., 2017) |
| Cnidium monnieri | osthole | bone fracture | bone growth, maximum load↑ (Zhang et al., 2017b) |
| OVX rats | maximal load↑ (Li et al., 2002) | ||
| heathy rats | peak bone mass, serum OC, micro-architecture, biomechanical parameters↑ (Cheng et al., 2014) | ||
| Epimedium brevicornum | Icariin flavonoids | OVX rats C57BL/6 mice and GIOP | BMD, serum ALP, OC, micro-architecture, biomechanical parameters↑(Zhang et al., 2006; Peng et al., 2009; Liang et al., 2012) Serum TRACP 5b, CTX↓(Feng et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2015) |
| Pueraria montana | Puerarin Puerarin 6’’-O-xyloside | ORX and OVX rats, monkeys | BMD and BMC, serum ALP, OCN↑ (Wang et al., 2005; Kittivanichkul et al., 2016; Yuan et al., 2016) |
| Salvia miltiorrhiza | Salvianolate Salvianolic acid B | Lupus mice GIOP | bone mechanical parameters, RUNX2 expression↑ Serum TRACP, RANKL, IL-6, ROS↓(Cui et al., 2012; Liu et al., 2016) |
They could enhance the BMC, BMD, and biomechanical parameters of the bones in osteoporosis model animals. And some of the osteogenesis makers of phosphorus, Ca2+, osteocalcin, osteoprotegerin, and ALP in serum would be alleviated during the dynamic metabolism progress of bone formation and resorption.