Ficus deltoidea promotes bone formation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Figures & data

Table 1. Effects of F. deltoidea on fasting blood glucose level and serum insulin in STZ induced diabetic rats (data represent mean ± 1SD).

Groups	Fasting blood glucose (mmol/L)		% Changes	Serum insulin (μIU/mL)
	Before	After
NC	4.80 ± 0.30^a	4.93 ± 0.21^a	+2.71	4.16 ± 3.03^c
DC	20.00 ± 3.24^b	30.13 ± 2.63^b	+50.65	1.58 ± 0.16^a
DMET	29.30 ± 3.70^c	19.83 ± 3.75^c	−32.32	1.78 ± 0.34^a
DFD	27.87 ± 6.03^c	17.27 ± 4.97^c	−38.03	2.41 ± 0.08^b

Values with different superscripts down the column indicate significant difference at p < 0.05.

Table 2. Histomorphometric results obtained on 2 D histological sections (data represent mean ± 1SD).

Groups	BMD (mg/cm^3)	TbN (1/mm)	TbSp (mm)	TbTh (mm)	BV/TV (%)
NC	748.04 ± 12.11^d	2.28 ± 0.07^c	0.28 ± 0.01^a	0.25 ± 0.01	56.66 ± 0.30^c
DC	526.98 ± 11.87^a	1.13 ± 0.01^a	1.12 ± 0.00^c	0.25 ± 0.01	28.33 ± 0.44^a
DMET	606.52 ± 6.17^b	1.66 ± 0.21^b	0.79 ± 0.27^b	0.18 ± 0.04	29.39 ± 4.34^a
DFD	637.74 ± 3.90^c	1.49 ± 0.29^ab	0.53 ± 0.07^ab	0.26 ± 0.05	38.68 ± 0.70^b

Different superscripts ^a,b,c,d in a column differed significantly at p < 0.05.

Figure 1. Micro-CT images of rat femurs in 2 D. (1) The NC rats had a thick layer of cortical bone surrounding dense bone trabeculae in the proximal and distal femur. (2) The DC rats display cortical osteopenia in the femoral diaphysis [indicated by white arrow] and trabecular bone loss in the distal femur. (3–4) Cortical bone thickness and density of bone trabeculae increased in the DMET and DFD rats. Images are representative of three animals per experimental group.

Figure 2. Light photomicrographs of sagittal sections of rat femur from different experimental groups. Normal control rats showing (A1) branching and anatomising thick trabeculae (T) separated by bone marrow (BM) spaces with some fatty tissue, (B1) well-developed growth plate, (C1) normal healthy articular cartilage, and (D1) cortical bone of femur diaphysis with haversian canals [indicated by green arrow] and osteocytes in their lacunae [indicated by black arrow]. Diabetic rats revealed (A2) thinning of the bone trabeculae with widening of the bone marrow spaces, (B2) disruption of the growth plate, (C2) reduction in articular cartilage quality at the femoral condyle, (D2) Multiple eroded [indicated by red arrow] areas at the endosteal surface of the cortical bone were obtained. Diabetic rats treated with metformin showing (A3) sparse and thinning trabeculae, with loss of connectivity and presence of abundant adiposity cells, containing a noticeable increased fatty tissue, (B3) wider distal femur growth plate, (C3) erosion of articular cartilage, and (D3) increase cortical porosity. Diabetic rats treated with F. deltoidea displaying (A4) larger areas covered with trabeculae and increased bone matrix density, (B4) epiphyseal plate arranged in layered array, (C4) thicker calcified cartilage component, and (D4) less cortical erosion. (A) Distal metaphysis trabecular (magnification 200×); (B) Distal epiphylseal plate (magnification 400×); (C) articular cartilage (magnification 200×) and (D) Cortical bone of femur diaphysis (magnification 200×).

Table 3. Oxidative stress marker and antioxidant enzymes of various experimental groups (data represent mean ± 1SD).

Groups	Oxidative stress marker	Antioxidant enzymes
	TBARS (nmol MDA/mg protein)	GPx (U/mg protein)	SOD (mU/mg protein)
NC	29.73 ± 0.50^a	43.65 ± 0.78^ab	0.51 ± 0.01
DC	60.74 ± 0.66^b	44.40 ± 0.80^bc	0.31 ± 0.04
DMET	73.51 ± 8.20^c	42.06 ± 0.98^b	0.34 ± 0.04
DFD	75.79 ± 0.14^c	45.41 ± 0.46^bc	0.58 ± 0.18

Different superscripts ^a,b,c in a column differed significantly at p < 0.05.

Table 4. Changes in serum osteocalcin, BALP and DPD of various experimental groups (data represent mean ± 1SD).

Groups	Bone formation markers		Bone resorption marker
	Osteocalcin (ng/ml)	BALP (ng/ml)	DPD (ng/ml)
NC	137.78 ± 6.92^c	101.49 ± 7.59^b	157.08 ± 5.33^b
DC	14.35 ± 0.97^a	67.06 ± 4.70^a	167.10 ± 0.21^c
DMET	57.42 ± 8.24^b	81.38 ± 0.45^a	152.16 ± 4.08^ab
DFD	155.66 ± 4.11^d	77.30 ± 8.31^a	145.53 ± 0.41^a

Different superscripts ^a,b,c,d in a column differed significantly at p < 0.05.

Table 5. Fatty acid composition (percentage of total identified fatty acids) of the bone of the experimental groups (data represent mean ± SD).

Fatty acids composition (%)	Groups
	NC	DC	DMET	DFD
Myristic acid (C14:0)	1.50 ± 0.27^c	0.40 ± 0.05^a	1.10 ± 0.08^bc	0.61 ± 0.03^ab
Palmitic acid (C16:0)	24.38 ± 4.58	24.88 ± 3.47	28.17 ± 2.88	23.34 ± 12.78
Stearic acid (C18:0)	7.07 ± 1.01^a	8.88 ± 0.52^b	7.13 ± 0.80^a	9.43 ± 1.72^b
Palmitoleic acid (C16:1)	2.52 ± 0.51	1.57 ± 0.38	1.68 ± 0.41	1.76 ± 0.64
Oleic acid (C18:1n9)	20.62 ± 7.99	25.02 ± 4.73	27.61 ± 3.12	23.66 ± 3.00
Linoleic acid (C18:2n6)	3.04 ± 1.37	3.27 ± 0.25	4.19 ± 0.42	2.69 ± 0.39
Arachidonic acid (C20:4n6)	1.00 ± 0.08	1.68 ± 0.04	1.04 ± 0.06	2.12 ± 0.14
α- Linolenic acid (C18:3n3)	1.55 ± 0.45	1.16 ± 0.29	1.24 ± 0.52	1.36 ± 0.96
Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3)	0.62 ± 0.15	0.14 ± 0.05	0.27 ± 0.05	0.68 ± 0.15
Docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n3)	0.38 ± 0.02	0.57 ± 0.04	0.50 ± 0.24	0.38 ± 0.15
Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3)	0.65 ± 0.16	0.14 ± 0.01	0.28 ± 0.03	0.31 ± 0.03
total SFA	32.94 ± 5.86	34.16 ± 4.32	36.39 ± 3.53	33.38 ± 13.01
total MUFA	23.13 ± 7.51	26.59 ± 4.72	29.29 ± 2.76	25.43 ± 3.44
total n-6 PUFA	4.04 ± 1.96	4.96 ± 0.79	5.23 ± 0.98	4.81 ± 1.39
total n-3 PUFA	2.81 ± 0.60^c	1.44 ± 0.18^a	1.78 ± 0.24^ab	2.34 ± 0.47^bc
n-6 : n-3	1.44 ± 0.69^a	3.44 ± 0.23^d	2.94 ± 0.34 ^cd	2.03 ± 0.20^ab