A Botanical Composition Mitigates Cartilage Degradations and Pain Sensitivity in Osteoarthritis Disease Model

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by a progressive articular cartilage degradation manifested with significant functional impairment in consort with signs and symptoms of inflammation, stiffness, and loss of mobility. Current OA management is inadequate due to the lack of nominal therapies proven to be effective in hampering disease progression where symptomatic therapy focused intervention masks the primary etiology leading to irreversible structural damage. In this study, we describe the effect of UP1306, a composition containing a proprietary blend of two standardized extracts from the heartwood of Acacia catechu and the root bark of Morus alba, in maintaining joint structural integrity and alleviating OA associated symptoms in monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced rat OA disease model. Data from pain sensitivity, histopathology, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) level were analyzed. Diclofenac at 10 mg/kg was used as a reference compound. Ex vivo proteoglycan protection model demonstrated 31.5%, 50.0%, and 54.8% inhibitions of proteoglycan degradations from UP1306 at concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL, respectively. The merit of combining two bioflavonoid standardized extracts from A. catechu and M. alba was demonstrated in their Ex vivo synergistic proteoglycan protection activity. In the MIA in vivo OA model, administered orally at 500 mg/kg, UP1306 resulted in reductions of 17.5%, 29.0%, 34.4%, 33.5%, and 40.9% through week 1-5 in pain sensitivity, statistically significant improvements in articular cartilage matrix integrity, and minimal subchondral bone damage. Therefore, UP1306 could potentially be considered as an alternative remedy from natural sources for the management of OA and/or its associated symptoms.