Crocus sativus Extract as a Biological Agent for Disease-Modifying Therapy of Collagenase-Induced Mouse Model of Osteoarthritis

Blagovesta Boneva; Andrey Marchev; Kristiana Amirova; Petya Ganova; Milen Georgiev; Andrey Tchorbanov; Nikolina Mihaylova

doi:10.3390/life13040894

Crocus sativus Extract as a Biological Agent for Disease-Modifying Therapy of Collagenase-Induced Mouse Model of Osteoarthritis

Life (Basel). 2023 Mar 28;13(4):894. doi: 10.3390/life13040894.

Authors

Blagovesta Boneva¹, Andrey Marchev², Kristiana Amirova², Petya Ganova³, Milen Georgiev², Andrey Tchorbanov¹, Nikolina Mihaylova³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
² Laboratory of Metabolomics, The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 139 Ruski Blvd, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
³ Laboratory of Immunohistochemistry and Immunopathology, Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.

Abstract

Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related joint disease that involves the degeneration of cartilage and is the most prevalent form of arthritis, affecting a large part of the population. OA is a multifactorial disorder, and no single etiological mechanism has been found to be common to all forms of the disease. Currently used therapies for control of the disease are mainly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroid medications. The aim of this study was to investigate the extract from Crocus sativus as a biological disease-suppressing therapy agent.

Methods: Balb/c mice were injected intra-articularly with Clostridium histolyticum type IA for induction of osteoarthritis. The mice were randomized to five groups: control group, I group (CIOA untreated), II group (CIOA + 100 mg/kg/daily saffron), III group (CIOA + 50 mg/kg/daily saffron), IV group (CIOA + 25 mg/kg/daily saffron). Flow-cytometry analysis was used to study the splenocytes' phenotype isolated from the treated animals. The serum levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed with ELISA. The histological assessment was used to analyze the saffron extract effect on histopathological alterations.

Results: Saffron treatment significantly decreased osteoarthritis-associated joint histological manifestations and decreased serum TNFα levels. The flow-cytometry analysis showed a decrease in pro-inflammatory immune cell subtypes in the spleen.

Conclusions: The results obtained suggest that saffron affected the disease progression and could be a potential therapeutic approach in osteoarthritic patients' therapy.

Keywords: Crocus sativus L.; collagenase; experimental osteoarthritis; inflammation.

Grants and funding

The work was supported by grant KP-06-H33/8 from The Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) and the European Fund for regional development through Operational Program Science and Education for Smart Growth 2014–2020, Grant BG05M2OP001-1.002-0001-C04 “Fundamental Translational and Clinical Investigations on Infections and Immunity”.