Abstract
Ginsenoside is widely used in China for therapeutic and healthcare practice. Ginsenoside-Rb2 shows the antiosteoporosis effects in ovariectomized rodents. However, the protective effects on osteoporosis induced by ketogenic diet (KD) remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the effects of ginsenoside-Rb2 on KD-induced osteoporosis. Thirty mice were randomly divided into three groups: sham, KD, and KD + Rb2. Bone microstructures, biomechanical properties, concentrations of serum bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP), and protein expression of osteocalcin (OCN), peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ), cathepsin K, and TRAP were evaluated after a 12-week intervention. The results show that KD induced significant bone loss and biomechanical impairment. Ginsenoside-Rb2 attenuated significant bone loss and maintained biomechanics in cancellous bone. The bone volume fraction increased from 2.3 to 6.0% in the KD + Rb2 group than that in the KD group. Meanwhile, ginsenoside-Rb2 effectively maintained biomechanical strengths in cancellous bone, increased serum BALP and decreased TRACP, and upregulated OCN and downregulated TRAP, PPAR-γ, and cathepsin K in the KD mice. This study demonstrated that ginsenoside-Rb2 retards bone loss and maintains biomechanics with KD. The underlying mechanism might be that ginsenoside-Rb2 inhibits bone resorption process and induces osteogenic differentiation, providing evidence for ginsenoside as being an alternative option for osteoporosis induced by KD.