Comparative anti-osteoporotic properties of the leaves and roots of Marantodes pumilum var. alata in postmenopausal rat model

Background Marantodes pumilum var. alata ( MPva ), popularly known as Kacip Fatimah, is widely used to maintain female reproductive health , facilitate post-partum recovery and manage symptoms of menopause and osteoporosis in South-East Asia. This study aims to further evaluate the osteoprotective potential of MPva in view of reports of its bone-protective properties in postmenopausal condition. Methods Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats were sorted into 5 groups (n = 6) namely: MPv (leaf treatment); MPr (root treatment); ERT (estrogen treatment); OVXC (untreated ovariectomized control) and Sham (untreated sham-operated control). All rats (except the Sham) were ovariectomized to induce a state of estrogen deficiency that simulates menopause. Two weeks after ovariectomy , the rats were treated for 8 weeks with oral gavages of estrogen and plant extracts. The ERT group received 64.5 μg/kg/day dose of estrogen while MPv and MPr groups received 20 mg/kg/day dose of leaf and root extracts , respectively. At the end of treatment , left femora were excised from euthanized rats and investigated for changes in bone micro-architecture, mineral density , and biomechanical properties. Results Bone volume fraction, degree of anisotropy and structure-model-index of bone were significantly improved ( p  < 0.05) in the MPv group compared to OVXC. Breaking force and maximum stress of bone were also significantly higher ( p  < 0.05) in the MPv group compared to the OVXC. Conclusion Treatment with MPva leaf protected bone microarchitecture and density against osteoporosis-related changes in postmenopausal rats. Similar to estrogen, the protective effects of MPva leaf translated into better-enhanced bone mechanical properties compared to the root treatment.