Bioactives in the plants we eat can be further digested by the gut microbiome – that is, the bacteria in our guts. Phenolic acids such as hippuric acid (HA) and 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (3-3-PPA) can be produced from microbiome digestion of polyphenols, a class of bioactives. HA and 3-3-PPA have been shown to promote bone formation and suppress bone break down, making them potential therapeutic options for treating and preventing bone loss disorders such as osteoporosis. Understanding the how HA and 3-3-PPA protect bone could assist in developing these bioactive molecules into new anti-bone loss agents. In a recent study, ACNC investigators describe how both HA and 3-3-PPA have bone protecting abilities comparable to the commonly prescribed drug, zoledronic acid, in an estrogen deficient (menopausal) mouse model. Both HA and 3-3-PPA also prevented fat tissue in bone marrow by suppressing expression of key enzymes – lipoprotein lipase (Lpl) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), as well as the association between Lpl and PPARγ. Zoledronic acid drugs protect against bone loss by killing osteoclasts but may also kill other non-bone breakdown cells. These data suggest that phenolics acids, such as HA or 3-3-PPA, may be safer alternatives to anti-bone loss agents, like zoledronic acid, for treatment of bone loss disorders. Image used with authors permission.
