The Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. (CR) extract BNO 1055 and thereof purified 2 fractions have cartilage protective effects and prevent accumulation of fat tissue in ovariectomized (ovx) rats

Estrogens exert beneficial effects in the bone, joint cartilage and prevent obesity. Their use however, bares several risks. Therefore, a search for non-estrogenic alternatives is going on. We showed previously that CR BNO 1055 has bone protective effects. Whether cartilage tissue is also protected and whether this can be attributed to less obesity was not yet studied and was a scope of the present experiments.

Rats were treated orally over a period of 4 weeks with CR BNO 1055 and 2 thereof purified fractions (S and R) and estradiol (E2) fed animals served as additional controls. The thickness of the knee joint cartilage layer as well as the size of the Hoffa's fat pad (a fat pad within the knee joint) was determined histomorphometrically.

Thickness of the knee joint cartilage was lowest in the ovx, highest in E2 and at intermediate values in the CR and S treated animals. The size of Hoffa'sch fat pad was smallest in E2 and largest in ovx animals and an intermediate size was determined for the CR and S treated animals.

It is concluded that E2, CR BNO 1055 and S have chondroprotective effects which correlate with the size of Hoffa's fat pad. The adipocytes in this fat pad are known to secrete cytotoxic cytokines. Therefore, the lower size of the fat pad in E2 and CR treated animals may have resulted in less cytokine production with less chondrotoxic effects.

Keywords: Cimicifuga racemosa, cartilage, fat tissue

Acknowledgement: This work was funded by the Bayerische Forschungsstiftung AZ-838–08, Germany.