Dose- and Time-Dependent Effects of a Ferula communis Extract on Bone Remodelling in a Human Osteosarcoma Cell Line
- 1Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- 2Department of Health Science, University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Abstract
Ferula communis is a herbaceous plant in the family Apiaceae and order Apiales. It has two chemotypes that cannot be distinguished botanically, although one is highly toxic while the other is not. The non-poisonous chemotype has many beneficial activities for human health, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antimycobacterial, antiproliferative, neuroprotective, and estrogenic properties, thanks to its numerous secondary metabolites. This manuscript evaluates the effects of a Ferula communis extract on bone remodelling in a human osteosarcoma cell line. The extract from Ferula communis (FER-E) comes from the roots of the plant and, after chemically removing toxic ferulenol, further chromatographic analysis allowed us to estimate the ferutinin content, titrated at 25%. Saos-2 cells were treated with FER-E for both short times (24, 48, and 72 h) and longer times (up to 20 days) and, at each time, three aspects were evaluated: (a) cell viability; (b) cytosolic calcium concentration; and (c) the expression of specific proteins (OPG-RANKL) related to bone remodelling. The results were encouraging, suggesting that FER-E effects were dose- and time-dependent. Furthermore, both short and prolonged treatments positively modulated bone structure maintenance. For example, treatment with FER-E for 72 h preserves osteoblastic activity, presumably at the expense of osteoclastic activity. Treatment for 12 days seems to turn off this activity. Still, surprisingly, in a time window between the thirteenth and twentieth day, the cells produce one or more late compounds, capable of returning to the extract the ability to activate osteoblastic activity again. If these findings are properly confirmed, both in vitro and in vivo, Ferula communis could be associated with the delicate mechanism of bone remodelling.
Related
- Non-canonical activation of VEGFA through TIMM44-dependent mitochondrial remodelling
- DNA Barcoding and Untargeted Metabolomics Reveal Phylogenetic and Chemotaxonomic Relationships Among 11 Ferula Species from Xinjiang, China
- Context-Dependent Modulation of Lipolytic Activity by Ginkgo biloba Extract: Evidence from Murine and Human Adipose Models
- Insights into floral biology, breeding behavior and chemical composition of Ferula assa-foetida L. cultivated under Indian Himalayan conditions.
- Exosomal CircRNA_102619–miR-330-3p Interaction Regulates Osteosarcoma Progression and Metastasis by Forming the Lung Pre-Metastatic Niche
BibTeX
@article{maiuolo2026dose,
title = {{Dose- and Time-Dependent Effects of a Ferula communis Extract on Bone Remodelling in a Human Osteosarcoma Cell Line}},
author = {Jessica Maiuolo and Miriam Scicchitano and Lorenza Guarnieri and Stefano Ruga and Francesca Bosco and Francesca Oppedisano and Rosamaria Caminiti and Valeria Mazza and Saverio Nucera and Ernesto Palma and Carolina Muscoli and Vincenzo Mollace},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31203597},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3597},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dose- and Time-Dependent Effects of a Ferula communis Extract on Bone Remodelling in a Human Osteosarcoma Cell Line
AU - Jessica Maiuolo
AU - Miriam Scicchitano
AU - Lorenza Guarnieri
AU - Stefano Ruga
AU - Francesca Bosco
AU - Francesca Oppedisano
AU - Rosamaria Caminiti
AU - Valeria Mazza
AU - Saverio Nucera
AU - Ernesto Palma
AU - Carolina Muscoli
AU - Vincenzo Mollace
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31203597
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3597
AB - Ferula communis is a herbaceous plant in the family Apiaceae and order Apiales. It has two chemotypes that cannot be distinguished botanically, although one is highly toxic while the other is not. The non-poisonous chemotype has many beneficial activities for human health, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antimycobacterial, antiproliferative, neuroprotective, and estrogenic properties, thanks to its numerous secondary metabolites. This manuscript evaluates the effects of a Ferula communis extract on bone remodelling in a human osteosarcoma cell line. The extract from Ferula communis (FER-E) comes from the roots of the plant and, after chemically removing toxic ferulenol, further chromatographic analysis allowed us to estimate the ferutinin content, titrated at 25%. Saos-2 cells were treated with FER-E for both short times (24, 48, and 72 h) and longer times (up to 20 days) and, at each time, three aspects were evaluated: (a) cell viability; (b) cytosolic calcium concentration; and (c) the expression of specific proteins (OPG-RANKL) related to bone remodelling. The results were encouraging, suggesting that FER-E effects were dose- and time-dependent. Furthermore, both short and prolonged treatments positively modulated bone structure maintenance. For example, treatment with FER-E for 72 h preserves osteoblastic activity, presumably at the expense of osteoclastic activity. Treatment for 12 days seems to turn off this activity. Still, surprisingly, in a time window between the thirteenth and twentieth day, the cells produce one or more late compounds, capable of returning to the extract the ability to activate osteoblastic activity again. If these findings are properly confirmed, both in vitro and in vivo, Ferula communis could be associated with the delicate mechanism of bone remodelling.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -