title: Dried and free flowing granules of Spinacia oleracea accelerate bone regeneration and alleviate postmenopausal osteoporosis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of extract derived from Spinacia oleracea extract (SOE) in reversing bone loss induced by ovariectomy and bone healing properties in a drill-hole fracture model in rats.
  
  
  
  SOE was administered orally for 12 weeks in adult ovariectomized Sprague Dawley rats after inducing osteopenic condition. Bone micro-architecture, expressions of osteogenic and resorptive gene markers, biomechanical strength, new bone formation, and bone turnover markers were studied. Uterine histomorphometry was used to assess estrogenicity. Bone regeneration potential of SOE was assessed in a drill-hole fracture model. Fracture healing was assessed by calcein intensity and micro-CT analysis of callus at fracture region.
  
  
  
  SOE prevented ovariectomy-induced bone loss as evident from 122% increase in bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) and 29% decline in Tb.Sp in femoral trabecular micro-architecture. This was corroborated by the more than twofold stimulation in the expression of osteogenic genes runt-related transcription factor 2, osterix, osteocalcin, bone morphogenetic protein 2, collagen-1. Furthermore in the fracture healing model, we observed a 25% increase in BV/TV and enhancement in calcein intensity at the fractured site. The extract when converted into dried deliverable Spinaceae oleracea granule (SOG) form accelerated bone regeneration at fracture site, which was more efficient as evident by a 39% increase in BV/TV. Transforming SOE into dried granules facilitated prolonged systemic availability, thus providing enhanced activity for a period of 14 days.
  
  
  
  SOE treatment effectively prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss and stimulated fracture healing in adult rats. The dried granular form of the extract of Spinaceae oleracea was effective in fracture healing at the same dose.
authors.affiliation: 1Endocrinology Division 2Medicinal and Process Chemistry Division 3Pharmaceutics Division 4Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Sulekha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adhikary
authors.forename: Dharmendra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Choudhary
authors.forename: Naseer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Sudhir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Kapil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dev
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mittapelly
authors.forename: Gitu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Prabhat Ranjan
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maurya
authors.forename: Ritu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trivedi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010052:Ovariectomy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000737:chemistry*; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts