Osteo-Protective Effect of Curcumin, Fenugreek and theirCombination on Ovariectomized Female Rats

THE MOST common type of osteoporosis is the bone loss associated with ovarian hormonal deficiency at menopause. It is characterized by an imbalance between bone resorption and formation, resulting in a decrease of bone mass and a deterioration of bone microarchitecture. Purified curcumin, Fenugreek extract and their combination were evaluated for improvement of bone loss on ovariectomized rats as a model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. 60, female Wistar rats weighing 130150-g were ovariectomized (OVX) except sham-operated (SH) group. Rats fed a soya bean deficient diet and randomly divided into 5 groups. After 3 months of ovariectomy, SH group and OVX control group was received 1 % DMS0 (1 ml/kg P.O.), while, other OVX groups were received curcumin (100mg/kg p.o.), alcoholic fenugreek extract (200mg/kg p.o.) and their combination (Received the same doses of drugs). Fumer, tibia and total bone mineral density showed significant decrease in OVX control vs. sham control, while the combination of curcumin and fenugreek showed significant increase compared with OVX control group. Data obtained showed that curcumin, significantly, decreased the bone loss. In addition, curcumin combined with alcoholic fenugreek extract showed a synergistic effect that consequently improved both bone turnover and bone strength.