Lignans from Sambucus williasmii hance against osteoporosis: A pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic study

There are approximately 20 families in the Sambucus genus, distributed widely in temperate and subtropical areas in the world. As part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sambucus williamsii Hance (SWH) has been used for the treatment of bone and joint diseases for thousands of years. Use of the plant was first recorded in Tang Materia Medica, completed during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 A. D.) and also described in the New Materia Medica, a book for herbal clinical use, whereby SWH was distributed to joints, and used to reunite fractured tendons and bones. Although SWH has a long history of clinical use, its chemical components were not fully characterized until recently.

We have shown the major phytochemicals in SWH are lignans, including several new compounds. This lignan-rich fraction obtained from SWH, exerts protective effects against bone loss induced by ovariectomy in aged rats. Eighty five compounds to date have been isolated and several bioactive lignans have been identified exhibiting in vitro and exert oestrogen-like effects on osteoblasts. In our continuing study on SWH we undertook an oral PK study of SWH which exhibited a profile with very rapid absorption and fast elimination in blood. These PD and PK studies, the identification of its components and possible mechanism will be presented.