Bone diseases such as osteoporosis are the result of osteoclast over-activation. There are many therapeutic agents from natural compounds inhibiting the formation of osteoclast that have been reported and are continuously being interested. Amygdalin (AD) is isolated from seeds of Prunus armeniaca L. which has many pharmaceutical effects; however, the effect of AD on osteoclast formation and function remains unknown. Therefore, the underlying mechanism of AD on RANKL-induced osteoclast in RAW 264.7 cells was investigated. Molecular docking simulation revealed that AD can bind to the active sites of RANKL with negative binding affinities. Through TRAP activity, bone resorption, and migration, AD effectively inhibited osteoclast differentiation and function. Expression of transcription factors, such as NFATc1, c-fos, and osteospecific genes (including dcstamp, acp5, ATP6v0d2, and ctsk results) showed an osteoclast differentiated inhibitory effect by AD treatment. In addition, RANKL-induced activation of MAPK, ER stress, and ROS levels in RANKL-induced osteoclast was significantly inhibited while antioxidant enzymes were recovered in the presence of AD. These results suggest that AD may be a potential candidate derived from natural sources for the treatment of osteoclast bone-related diseases.
Keywords: ER stress; RANKL; ROS; amygdalin; molecular docking; osteoclast.