The Beneficial Effect of Boswellic Acid on Bone Metabolism and Possible Mechanisms of Action in Experimental Osteoporosis

Abstract

Estrogen is instrumental in the pathological process of osteoporosis because a deficiency of this hormone increases the release of bone-resorbing cytokines. Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA), a constituent from Boswellia serrata, has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression, which leads to a decline in receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) ligand, and consequently, a reduction in osteoclast activity. Hence, AKBA may be beneficial against bone loss during osteoporosis. Therefore, the current study intended to evaluate the beneficial effects of AKBA in ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis and to investigate its mechanism of action. Sham-operation or ovariectomy female Sprague Dawley rats were used for evaluating the antiosteoporotic effect of AKBA in this study. AKBA (35 mg/kg, p.o.) and estradiol (0.05 mg/kg, i.m.) were administered for 42 days. At the end of the experiment, body and uterus weights, serum and urine calcium and phosphorus, serum alkaline phosphatase, and urinary creatinine levels, besides serum levels of NF-κB and TNF-α were determined. Weight, length, thickness, hardness, calcium content, as well as the bone mineral density of femur bone and lumbar vertebra were measured. A histopathological examination was also carried out. AKBA ameliorated all tested parameters and restored a normal histological structure. Thus, AKBA showed good antiosteoporotic activity, which may be mediated through its suppression of the NF-κB-induced TNF-α signaling pathway.

Identification of Novel Cannabinoid CB2 Receptor Agonists from Botanical Compounds and Preliminary Evaluation of Their Anti-Osteoporotic Effects

“…The effects of the above botanical compounds on osteoblasts and osteoclastsmay be mitigated by AM630, which further supports the agonistic effect of these botanical compounds on CB2R. Some investigations have reported the regulatory effects of 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid, mangiferin, and orientin, and our results further revealed that these compounds may modulate bone metabolism by targeting CB2R [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the effects of dihydromethysticin, desmethoxyyangonin, flavokawain A, echinatin, and11-keto-beta-boswellic acid on osteoblasts and osteoclasts.…”

β-Boswellic Acid Inhibits RANKL-Induced Osteoclast Differentiation and Function by Attenuating NF-κB and Btk-PLCγ2 Signaling Pathways

“…Orally administered AKBA exerts anti-arthritic activity in bovine serum albumin-induced arthritis. Additionally, AKBA inhibits the toll-like receptor-mediated activation of monocytes through the downregulation of LPS-induced nitric oxide, IL-β, and TNF-α production [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Therefore, this study used βBA to develop a therapeutic agent against bone diseases, which has higher absorption efficiency in vivo than AKBA, may be effective as a drug.…”

“…There are more than 12 types of BAs of which α-boswellic acid (αBA), β-boswellic acid (βBA), keto β-boswellic acid (KBA), and acetyl-keto β-boswellic acid (AKBA) are the major ones [ 19 ]. Previous studies reported that AKBA inhibits osteoclastogenesis by suppressing the NF-κB-induced TNF-α signaling pathway [ 20 ] and attenuates titanium particle-induced osteogenic inhibition via the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway [ 21 ]. However, the biological effects of βBA on osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption remain unknown.…”

Potential complementary and/or synergistic effects of curcumin and boswellic acids for management of osteoarthritis

“…In a rat model of osteoporosis, administration of 35 mg/kg AKBA for 42 days resulted in significant improvement in calcium content and bone mineral density ( p < 0.01 for both) and downregulation of NF-κB and NF-κB-regulated gene expression, suggesting that AKBA has a role in management of postmenopausal osteoporosis through inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. 61 …”