Flavonoids of Cuscuta chinensis Enhance Osteogenic Differentiation in Dental Pulp Stem Cells via the Regulation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling
- Prev Nutr Food Sci. 2026 Apr 20;31(2):pnf.2025.243. doi: 10.3746/pnf.2025.243.
- 1. Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
- 2. Luzhou Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- 3. Public Experimental Technology Center School, Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- 4. Department of Oral Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- 5. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
Osteoporosis renders postmenopausal women susceptible to alveolar bone loss and complicates dental care, highlighting the urgent need for devising safe and effective nutritional strategies that support bone health. Cuscuta chinensis, a traditional medicinal plant, contains Flavonoids with reported bioactivity on bone metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the osteogenic potential of the total Flavonoids of C. chinensis (TFCC) using human dental pulp stem cells (HDPSCs) and establish their preventive relevance for osteoporosis management. HDPSCs were treated with TFCC, and osteogenic differentiation was assessed employing Alkaline Phosphatase activity, Alizarin red S staining, wound-healing assay, RNA Sequencing, and Western blotting of Wnt/β-catenin pathway proteins. TFCC at low concentrations enhanced HDPSC proliferation and markedly promoted osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by elevated mineralized nodule formation and accelerated wound closure. Transcriptomic and protein analyses confirmed the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, including an upregulation of runt-related transcription factor 2, Osteopontin, β-catenin, and lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1, with a concomitant phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 β. Additionally, TFCC also mitigated the inhibitory effects of the Wnt Inhibitor XAV-939. These findings indicate enhanced osteogenic differentiation in response to TFCC treatment, a process that may involve Wnt/β-catenin pathway modulation. Our results suggest that TFCC may serve as a diet component for maintaining bone health in menopausal women, offering new translational potential for osteoporosis-related dental care.