Osteoporosis is a bone degenerating disorder marked by decreased bone strength. While hormone replacement therapy is often resorted to for the treatment of osteoporosis, it is associated with serious side effects.

As a result there has been increasing interest in searching for some natural remedy for this commonly seen ailment. A study published in the International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences looked into the efficacy of aqueous extract of Emblica officinalis (EO) alone or in combination with the petroleum ether extract of Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) for their anti-osteoporotic activity in ovariectomized experimental model.

Following the onset of osteoporosis in bilaterally ovariectomized models, they were administered reference doses of raloxifene, EO, CQ singly and/or in combination for a period of 6 weeks. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and hydroxyproline levels were shown to increase significantly in ovariectomized models. Treatment with EO and CQ led to significant elevation in serum ALP levels, while the serum TRAP and hydroxyproline levels showed restoration towards normal levels. Loss of bone mass and strength caused by osteoporosis was improved with EO and CQ treatments.

The individual effects of EO and CQ were found to be comparable with that of raloxifene.

EO and CQ were thus shown to effectively decrease bone loss and enhance bone strength. The use of these herbs can therefore be beneficial in the treatment of bone degenerative disorders.