title: Preventive effects of the methanol soluble fraction of Millettia macrophylla Benth (Fabaceae) on an osteoporosis-like model of ovariectomized Wistar rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Millettia macrophylla Benth is a Cameroonian medicinal plant traditionally used to alleviate menopause-related problems. The methanol soluble fraction of this plant was shown to exhibit estrogenic effects in vitro in Human Embryonic kidney cells, and in vivo on ovariectomized rat following the classical uterotrophic assay. Since estrogens have been involved in bone remodeling process, the present study then aimed at evaluating bone loss preventive effects of the methanol soluble fraction of Millettia macrophylla (MM-met) in ovariectomized rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five healthy Wistar female rats (3-month-old) were randomly assigned to a sham-operated group and to four treated ovariectomized (OVX) groups. Treatments lasted 8 weeks and animals were sacrificed. The uterus, the femoral and the tibia bones of each animal were collected, weighed and fixed in 10% formalin for histological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that ovariectomy decreased uterine wet weight (p<0.01), induced body weight gain (p<0.01), decreased both femoral and tibia bone density and mineral content and increased alkaline phosphatase activity (p<0.05). E2V and MM-met treatments in general prevented bone mass loss and/or bone density loss. At all tested doses, MM-met induced a significant decrease of alkaline phosphatase activity (p<0.05). As observed with E2V, MM-met also induced a significant protective effect on bone, and this was indicated by an abundance of bone marrow in an almost intact trabecular network.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall results show that the methanol soluble fraction of Millettia macrophylla may prevent ovariectomy-induced bone mass loss and deterioration of the trabecular microarchitecture.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zingue
authors.forename: Dieudonné
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Njamen
authors.forename: Marie Alfrede
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mvondo
authors.forename: Chantal Beatrice
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Magne Nde
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007867:Leg Bones / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D033641:Millettia; D009929:Organ Size; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013977:Tibia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase