The Effect of Alcohol Insoluble Polysaccharide (AIP) fromOpuntia Humifusaon Osteoporosis in Ovariectomized Mice

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of alcohol‐insoluble polysaccharide (AIP) isolated from the fruit and stem of Opuntia humifusa on bone metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Female mice 6 weeks of age were assigned to four groups: Sham‐operated (Sham), OVX control, OVX mice fed 5% AIP fruit of an O. humifusa supplemented diet (OVX + Fruit), and OVX mice fed 5% AIP stem of an O. humifusa supplemented diet (OVX + Stem). After eight weeks, the OVX + Fruit group and the OVX + Stem group demonstrated increased trabecular bone volume and bone mineral density, and partially improved bone microstructure of the proximal tibia was evident in OVX mice. The OVX + Fruit group and the OVX + Stem group also presented significant reductions in both bone resorption and bone formation. These results suggest that AIP from O. humifusa has beneficial effects on trabecular bone mass, through improving the structural properties of the tibia in OVX mice. Practical Applications The Opuntia humifusa, which has been traditionally consumed as a value‐added food, has been used to treat diuretic disease, constipation and arthritis. We found the fruit and stem AIP of O. humifusa played beneficial functions such as regulation of bone mineral density and improving cancellous bone, suggesting they could be applied as a functional food material for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Aqueous extract from Opuntia megapotamica fruit pulp promotes osteoblast activity

“…The consumption of dehydrated cladodes of Opuntia fi cus indica, source of bioavailable calcium, improves Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in adult women with low bone mass [47] and in weaned growing rats [48,49] On the other hand, the ethanolic extract of this same species prevents the decrease of bone mineral density induced by ovariectomy in rats [50]. The oral supply of polysaccharides isolated from cladodes, seeds and fruit pulp of Opuntia humifusa produces benefi cial effects on the bone trabecular mass and on the structural properties of bone in ovariectomized female mice and rats with osteoporosis [51,52]. In in vitro studies, it was demonstrated that aqueous and ethanolic extracts of O. humifusa promote differentiation of murine osteoblasts and also decrease oxidative stress, suggesting an anabolic effect in bone [53].…”

Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf. f. jeollaensis E. J. Kim & S. S. Whang, a new forma based on three DNA markers

“…Due to the medicinal properties of Opuntia species, studies on these taxa have gradually been increasing in oversea (Laurenz et al, 2003;Stintzing and Carle, 2005;Mauseth, 2006;Huang et al, 2008;Ncibi et al, 2008;Majdoub et al, 2010) as well as in Korea (Lee et al, 2004;Choi et al, 2005;Kwon and Song, 2005;Cho et al, 2006;Choi and Shin, 2011;Jung et al, 2012;Jun et al, 2013;Kim, 2013;Yang, 2013;Choi, 2014). It would be problematic if these species would be developed as medical and functional foods without clarifying the taxonomic relationships among three Opuntia spp.…”

Effects of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide on adipogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

“…Previous studies demonstrate that Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DDP) possesses antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-hypoglycaemic activities (Pan et al, 2014;Cai et al, 2015). It is found that, some polysaccharides from herb can prevent the osteoporosis (Yang et al, 2016) and bone loss (MengYong et al, 2008) in animals. Until now the role of DDP in the differentiation of BMSCs into adipogenic cells has not been reported.…”