RETRACTED ARTICLE: Tridax procumbens flavonoids promote osteoblast differentiation and bone formation

• DOI: 10.1186/s40659-015-0056-1
• Publication Date: 2015-11-18T12:56:40Z
• Authors: Md. Abdullah Al M...; Mohammad Jakir Hosen; Kamrul Islam; Amina Khatun; M. Masihul Alam; Md. Abdul Alim Al...
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; Asteraceae; Osteogenesis; Orthopedics and Sports Medicine; Biology (General); Medicine(all); Osteoblast differentiation; Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all); Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Osteoblast; Life Sciences; Cell Differentiation; Osteoblast Differentiation; Up-Regulation; 3. Good health; Sp7 Transcription Factor; Bone formation; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; Osteoclast Differentiation; Medicine; Research Article; QH301-705.5; Osteocalcin; Primary Cell Culture; 03 medical and health sciences; Calcification, Physiologic; In vitro; Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Alkaline phosphatase; Health Sciences; Genetics; Animals; Molecular Biology; Biology; Flavonoids; Pharmacology; Osteoblasts; Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all); Skull; Botany; Traditional medicine; Alkaline Phosphatase; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular Mechanisms of Osteoclast Differentiation and Bone Remodeling; Therapeutic Potential of Boswellic Acids and Related Compounds; FOS: Biological sciences; Osteoporosis; Medicine, Traditional; Transcription Factors

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.

Conclusion 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.