Quercitrin attenuates osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways.

MAPK signaling pathways are crucial in regulating osteogenesis, a genetic disorder affecting the bones. Quercitrin, a type of flavonoid, is widely distributed in nature and involved in many pharmacological activities. But its osteoprotective functions and mechanism in osteoporosis are far from being understood clearly. In this paper, the MAPK upregulation was observed in the ovariectomy-induced bone loss. Quercitrin was found to downregulate MAPK signaling pathways and prevent the ovariectomy-induced deterioration of bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular microstructure, and bone mechanical characteristics. In this study, quercitrin was seen to prevent the progression of the postmenopausal osteoporosis among the rats, which may be mediated by the downregulated MAPK signaling pathways.