Cornus officinalis: a potential herb for treatment of osteoporosis

Xinyun Tang; Yuxin Huang; Xuliang Fang; Xuanying Tong; Qian Yu; Wenbiao Zheng; Fangda Fu

doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1289144

Cornus officinalis: a potential herb for treatment of osteoporosis

Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Dec 4:10:1289144. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1289144. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xinyun Tang^#^{1

2}, Yuxin Huang^#^{1

2}, Xuliang Fang^#^{1

2}, Xuanying Tong^{1

3}, Qian Yu^{1

2}, Wenbiao Zheng⁴, Fangda Fu¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, China.
² The First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China.
³ The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ Department of Orthopedics, Taizhou Municipal Hospital, Taizhou, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic metabolic skeletal disorder characterized by a decline in bone mass, bone mineral density, and deterioration of bone microstructure. It is prevalent among the elderly, particularly postmenopausal women, and poses a substantial burden to patients and society due to the high incidence of fragility fractures. Kidney-tonifying Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been utilized for OP prevention and treatment. In contrast to conventional approaches such as hormone replacement therapy, TCM offers distinct advantages such as minimal side effects, low toxicity, excellent tolerability, and suitability for long-term administration. Extensive experimental evidence supports the efficacy of kidney-tonifying TCM, exemplified by formulations based on the renowned herb Cornus officinalis and its bioactive constituents, including morroniside, sweroside, flavonol kaempferol, Cornuside I, in OP treatment. In this review, we provide a comprehensive elucidation of the underlying pathological principles governing OP, with particular emphasis on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, the homeostasis of osteogenic and osteoclastic, and the regulation of vascular and immune systems, all of which critically influence bone homeostasis. Furthermore, the therapeutic mechanisms of Cornus officinalis-based TCM formulations and Cornus officinalis-derived active constituents are discussed. In conclusion, this review aims to enhance understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms responsible for the anti-OP effects of kidney-tonifying TCM, specifically focusing on Cornus officinalis, and seeks to explore more efficacious and safer treatment strategies for OP.

Keywords: Cornus officinalis; bone homeostasis; effective ingredients; kidney-tonifying herbs; osteoporosis; pharmacological mechanisms.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos.: 82174140, 82174401, 82104164, and 81973870), Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (nos.: LQ23H270003, LY22H270003, and LQ19H080001), Joint Funds of the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (no. LBY22H270008), Traditional Chinese Medical Administration of Zhejiang Province (nos.: 2023ZR019, 2023ZL128, 2022ZX005, 2022ZB119, 2021ZB090, and 2018ZB136), Zhejiang medical and health science and technology project (nos.: 2023RC194 and 2021KY222), and Research Project of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (nos.: 2021JKZDZC02 and 2021JKZKTS036A).