title: Tridax procumbens flavonoids promote osteoblast differentiation and bone formation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tridax procumbens flavonoids (TPFs) are well known for their medicinal properties among local natives. Besides traditionally used for dropsy, anemia, arthritis, gout, asthma, ulcer, piles, and urinary problems, it is also used in treating gastric problems, body pain, and rheumatic pains of joints. TPFs have been reported to increase osteogenic functioning in mesenchymal stem cells. Our previous study showed that TPFs were significantly suppressed the RANKL-induced differentiation of osteoclasts and bone resorption. However, the effects of TPFs to promote osteoblasts differentiation and bone formation remain unclear. TPFs were isolated from Tridax procumbens and investigated for their effects on osteoblasts differentiation and bone formation by using primary mouse calvarial osteoblasts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TPFs promoted osteoblast differentiation in a dose-dependent manner demonstrated by up-regulation of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. TPFs also upregulated osteoblast differentiation related genes, including osteocalcin, osterix, and Runx2 in primary osteoblasts. TPFs treated primary osteoblast cells showed significant upregulation of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) including Bmp-2, Bmp-4, and Bmp-7. Addition of noggin, a BMP specific-antagonist, inhibited TPFs induced upregulation of the osteocalcin, osterix, and Runx2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings point towards the induction of osteoblast differentiation by TPFs and suggested that TPFs could be a potential anabolic agent to treat patients with bone loss-associated diseases such as osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh. mssohel@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Md Abdullah
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al Mamun
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh. jakir-gen@sust.edu.
authors.forename: Mohammad Jakir
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hosen
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh. kamu_islamm@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kamrul
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh. akhatun6july@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khatun
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Technology, Islami University, Kustia, 7003, Bangladesh. alam.anft@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M Masihul
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh. alimalbari2@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Md Abdul Alim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al-Bari
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012886:Skull / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; D005419:Flavonoids; C493716:Runx2 protein, mouse; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; C479466:Sp7 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase