- In the female ginseng (dong quai) plant, researchers have discovered a unique compound that may lead to new treatments for osteoporosis.
- Osteoporosis is a bone condition that causes bones to become more porous, weakening them.
- It affects women more frequently than men, but both sexes are at risk.
- The authors of the new study have synthesized the ginseng compound in the lab and found that, in cells, it inhibits the action of osteoclasts that cause osteoporosis to develop and progress.
A new study announces the discovery of a new compound that shows promise for treating osteoporosis. The authors of the study found the compound in female ginseng — the plant is referred to as “dong quai” or “dang-gui” in China.
The compound, which the researchers have since synthesized in their lab, inhibited the in vitro generation of osteoclasts that promote bone loss, suggesting a new pathway toward treatment of the condition.
The researchers discovered two
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, causing them to become less solid and more porous, increasing the risk of fractures and breaks. It is a condition that becomes more likely with age, and strikes women in far greater numbers than men.
According to the
In data from 2017-2018, the prevalence of osteoporosis at either the femur neck — the hip — or lumbar spine, or both, among adults 50 and older was 12.6% on average. Its occurrence was higher, 19.6%, for women than it was for men, 4.4%.
The study is published in ACS Central Science.
Study co-author Dr. Xin-Luan…
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