Effect of Formononetin on Mechanical Properties and Chemical Composition of Bones in Rats with Ovariectomy-Induced Osteoporosis

Abstract

Formononetin is a naturally occurring isoflavone, which can be found in low concentrations in many dietary products, but the greatest sources of this substance are Astragalus membranaceus, Trifolium pratense, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Pueraria lobata, which all belong to Fabaceae family. Due to its structural similarity to 17β-estradiol, it can mimic estradiol's effect and therefore is considered as a “phytoestrogen.” The aim of this study was to examine the effect of formononetin on mechanical properties and chemical composition of bones in rats with ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis. 12-week-old female rats were divided into 4 groups: sham-operated, ovariectomized, ovariectomized treated with estradiol (0.2 mg/kg) and ovariectomized treated with formononetin (10 mg/kg). Analyzed substances were administered orally for 4 weeks. Ovariectomy caused osteoporotic changes, which can be observed in bone biomechanical features (decrease of maximum load and fracture load and increase of displacements for maximum and fracture loads) and bone chemical composition (increase of water and organic fraction content, while a decrease of minerals takes place). Supplementation with formononetin resulted in slightly enhanced bone mechanical properties and bone chemistry improvement (significantly lower water content and insignificantly higher mineral fraction content). To summarize, administration of formononetin to ovariectomized rats shows beneficial effect on bone biomechanical features and chemistry; thus, it can prevent osteoporosis development.

The Protective Effect of Amphimas pterocarpoides Plant Extract on Bone Mineral Density and Strength in Estrogen Deficient Ovariectomized Wistar Rats

“…Based on recent data, conducted by HPLC, eleven isoflavonoids were isolated from the methanol extract of the stem bark of AP [12]. Some of these isolated isoflavonoids such as daidzein, clycitein and formononetin have proven anabolic effect on bone metabolism and they prevent bone loss [20,32,[34][35][36][37]. A good correlation between the content of AP extract in isoflavones and its antioxidant activity has already been described [10,11] while the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of osteroporosis is well established [38,39].…”

Evaluation of Isoflavones as Bone Resorption Inhibitors upon Interactions with Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-κB Ligand (RANKL)

“…Isoflavones, by interacting with the estrogen receptor, limit interleukin 6 (IL-6) production, which stimulates osteoclastogenesis and OPG synthesis. It is also postulated osteoclastogenesis inhibition by isoflavones is a result of inactivating tyrosine kinase or involvement in cyclic AMP signaling [7]. On the other hand, blocking RANKL prevents its attachment to the receptor that inhibits osteoclast maturation and bone resorption.…”

New Insights Regarding the Potential Health Benefits of Isoflavones

“…The bone protective properties were also observed for other compounds. Formononetin, an isoflavone found mainly in the roots of Astragalus membranaceus and Astragalus mongholicus, improved the mechanical properties of the bones and exerted beneficial effects in rats with osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy after the administration of 10 mg/kg formononetin for 4 weeks [85]. The results of a meta-analysis investigating trials that evaluated the effects of isoflavone in osteoporosis, revealed that the effects of these compounds depend on dose and duration of administration.…”