title: Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Fruit Extract Stimulates Osteoblast Differentiation via Erk1/2-Dependent RUNX2 Activation.
abstract: Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) has been used as a traditional oriental medicine and possesses a number of physiological activities. In this study, we used cell-based herbal extract screening to identify longan fruit extract (LFE) as an activator of osteoblast differentiation. LFE up-regulated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, induced mineralization, and activated Runx2 gene expression in MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, treatment of MC3T3-E1 cells with LFE promoted the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (Erk1/2); however, abrogation of Erk1/2 activation with PD98059 resulted in down-regulation of the phospho- SMAD1/5/8 and Runx2 levels, which in turn reduced the ALP activity. Our findings suggest that LFE exerts its osteogenic activity through activation of the ERK signaling pathway and may have potential as an herbal therapeutic or a preventive agent for the treatment of osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seoyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joo-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Younglim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: Cancer Genomics Branch National Cancer Center, Goyang 10408, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.affiliation: Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sangtaek
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010012:Osteogenesis; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D029631:Sapindaceae; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C493709:RUNX2 protein, human; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase
keywords: Erk1/2 pathway; Longan fruit extract; herbal medicine; osteoblast differentiation