Potential anti-osteoporotic and anti-inflammatory potential of plant derived extracts and column semi-purified fractions of Epimedium brevicornum.
- 1Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
- 2Traditional Chinese Medicine Pain Department, TCM Specialty Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Abstract
Background
Osteoporosis is characterized by excessive bone resorption and impaired bone remodeling, often accompanied by inflammatory processes that exacerbate skeletal deterioration. Natural products with multi-target potential have gained attention as alternative therapeutic strategies. The present study aimed to investigate the in-vitro anti-osteoporotic and anti-inflammatory potential of extracts obtained from different parts of Epimedium brevicornum, including leaves, stem, and roots, as well as isolated column semi-purified fractions (E-B-1 C, E-B-2 C, E-B-3 C, and E-B-4 C) derived from the leaf extract.Methods
Crude methanolic extracts and leaf-derived semi-purified fractions were prepared using column chromatography and evaluated for inhibitory activity against key enzymes involved in bone resorption and remodeling, including tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), cathepsin K, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13). Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). Enzyme inhibition assays were conducted at varying concentrations to determine percentage inhibition and IC₅₀.Results
All tested extracts and fractions demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition across the evaluated targets. Among the semi-purified fractions, E-B-2 C and E-B-3 C generally showed stronger inhibitory activities against bone resorption-related enzymes, whereas E-B-1 C exhibited the strongest inhibition of 5-LOX. The IC₅₀ values ranged from 95.22 to 462.37 μg/mL across the six enzymatic targets. Overall, the semi-purified fractions showed greater inhibitory potency than the crude extracts.Conclusion
The findings suggest that Epimedium brevicornum may serve as a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with dual anti-osteoporotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Further investigations focusing on isolation, structural characterization, and in-vivo validation are warranted to confirm therapeutic potential.
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BibTeX
@article{ding2026potential,
title = {{Potential anti-osteoporotic and anti-inflammatory potential of plant derived extracts and column semi-purified fractions of Epimedium brevicornum.}},
author = {Nan Ding and Baohui Wang},
journal = {Frontiers in cell and developmental biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fcell.2026.1938049},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923117},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Potential anti-osteoporotic and anti-inflammatory potential of plant derived extracts and column semi-purified fractions of Epimedium brevicornum.
AU - Nan Ding
AU - Baohui Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Frontiers in cell and developmental biology
DO - 10.3389/fcell.2026.1938049
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923117
AB - Background Osteoporosis is characterized by excessive bone resorption and impaired bone remodeling, often accompanied by inflammatory processes that exacerbate skeletal deterioration. Natural products with multi-target potential have gained attention as alternative therapeutic strategies. The present study aimed to investigate the in-vitro anti-osteoporotic and anti-inflammatory potential of extracts obtained from different parts of Epimedium brevicornum, including leaves, stem, and roots, as well as isolated column semi-purified fractions (E-B-1 C, E-B-2 C, E-B-3 C, and E-B-4 C) derived from the leaf extract.Methods Crude methanolic extracts and leaf-derived semi-purified fractions were prepared using column chromatography and evaluated for inhibitory activity against key enzymes involved in bone resorption and remodeling, including tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), cathepsin K, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13). Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). Enzyme inhibition assays were conducted at varying concentrations to determine percentage inhibition and IC₅₀.Results All tested extracts and fractions demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition across the evaluated targets. Among the semi-purified fractions, E-B-2 C and E-B-3 C generally showed stronger inhibitory activities against bone resorption-related enzymes, whereas E-B-1 C exhibited the strongest inhibition of 5-LOX. The IC₅₀ values ranged from 95.22 to 462.37 μg/mL across the six enzymatic targets. Overall, the semi-purified fractions showed greater inhibitory potency than the crude extracts.Conclusion The findings suggest that Epimedium brevicornum may serve as a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with dual anti-osteoporotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Further investigations focusing on isolation, structural characterization, and in-vivo validation are warranted to confirm therapeutic potential.
SN - 2296-634X
ER -