Abstract

Background: This study investigated the effect of a phenol-rich fraction of Ochna schweinfurthiana F. Hoffm on retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in mice.
Method: Osteoporosis was induced in female Swiss albino mice by oral administration of retinoic acid (80 mg/kg) for 14 d. The phenol-rich fraction was obtained through sequential liquid-liquid partitioning of the methanolic extract of Ochna schweinfurthiana bark. The mice were divided into eight groups: naive control, vehicle control, five treatment groups receiving 50-800 mg/kg of the phenol-rich fraction, and a reference group receiving alendronate (40 mg/kg). This treatment was administered orally for 14 days. My body weight, bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), uterine weight, serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were evaluated.
Results: The phenol-rich fraction significantly increased body weight, BMC, and BMD and reduced elevated serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP, ACP, and MDA levels compared to the vehicle control. The median effective doses (ED50) for BMC, BMD, serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP, ACP, and MDA were 451, 228.27, 3930, 1394, 645, 2080, and 468.72 mg/kg, respectively.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the phenol-rich fraction of Ochna schweinfurthiana possesses osteoprotective properties against retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in mice, possibly owing to its antioxidant and anti-resorptive effects. Further studies are needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying these effects and identify the specific phenolic compounds responsible for the observed osteoprotective activity.

Key words: Osteoporosis; Phenol rich fraction; bone turnover, Ochna schweinfurthiana, Retinoic acid, Bone mineral content, Bone mineral density, Oxidative stress