Effects of a Hot-Water Extract of Allium hookeri Roots on Bone Formation in Human Osteoblast-Like MG-63 Cells In Vitro and in Rats In Vivo

Abstract

Allium hookeri is a wild herb found mainly in the Himalayas, growing at altitudes of 1400-4200 m. A. hookeri is widely consumed as a vegetable and herbal medicine in Asia, but its effects on bone health have not been reported previously. This study investigated the effects of a hot-water extract of A. hookeri roots on bone formation. The hot-water extract significantly increased the proliferation of in vitro human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells and the stimulatory effects on osteoblast differentiation were noticeably greater for the hotwater extract than for daidzein (a positive control), as reflected by alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen content, and mineral deposition. Expression of the bone-remodeling marker osteocalcin production and bone microstructural parameters were significantly improved in Sprague-Dawley rats in vivo after oral treatment with the hotwater extract compared with their control (saline-administered) counterparts. The chemical compounds of the hot-water extract were characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and alliin, sinapic acid, and ferulic acid, which exert beneficial effects on bone health, were identified. These findings indicate that A. hookeri can be used as a natural resource for increasing bone formation. This is the first report of the anabolic effects of A. hookeri extracts on bone formation in vitro and in vivo.