Standardized Ethanolic Extracts of Boswellia serrata Ameliorate Symptoms of Osteoarthritis by Direct Effects on Chondrocytes

Jihee Lee¹, Inae Jeong¹, Gwang-Woo Kim¹, Taesang Son¹, Yujeong Kim¹, Woojin Jun^{1, 2}, Jeongjin Park^{1, 2} and Ok-Kyung Kim^{1, 2,}

¹Division of Food and Nutrition, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea

²Human Ecology Research Institute, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea

Cite this paper:
Jihee Lee, Inae Jeong, Gwang-Woo Kim, Taesang Son, Yujeong Kim, Woojin Jun, Jeongjin Park and Ok-Kyung Kim. Standardized Ethanolic Extracts of Boswellia serrata Ameliorate Symptoms of Osteoarthritis by Direct Effects on Chondrocytes. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. 2021; 9(12):614-625. doi: 10.12691/jfnr-9-12-1

Abstract

We investigated whether standardized ethanolic extracts of Boswellia (FJH-BS) could alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis, including pain, inflammation, and degradation of articular cartilage. Sprague-Dawley rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis received supplementation of FJH-BS at 80 and 125 mg/kg body weight. We found that FJH-BS supplementation reduced histological and architectural changes and pain levels in rats with MIA-induced osteoarthritis. In addition, FJH-BS supplementation suppressed mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and pro-inflammatory mediators, including cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandin E₂, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, FJH-BS treatment directly suppressed cell death, inflammation, and expression of MMPs in H₂O₂- or LPS-treated primary chondrocytes. Our results suggest that supplementation with standardized FJH-BS may prevent osteoarthritis progression by directly influencing chondrocytes.

Keywords:
Boswellia osteoarthritis chondrocytes

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