The Effects of a Novel Botanical Agent on Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Alveolar Bone Loss in Rats

Background: The development of host‐modulatory agents with low risk of adverse effects has been needed to treat periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease. A botanical mixture of extracts from two natural substances, Panax notoginseng and Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, was developed as a novel botanical agent synthesized with anti‐inflammatory effect. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the botanical mixture on the release of inflammatory cytokines and its inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced alveolar bone loss (ABL) in a rat model. Methods: Cytotoxicity was assessed by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2yl)‐5(3‐carboxymethoxyphenol)‐2‐(4‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium assay using human gingival fibroblast (hGF) and human periodontal ligament (hPDL) cells. Human acute monocytic leukemia cell line and hGF cells were cultured to assay tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐6, respectively. Microcomputed tomography analysis and immunofluoresence analysis were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the botanical mixture to inhibit the destruction of alveolar bone and connective tissue in a rat model. Results: The botanical mixture is cytotoxic at concentrations exceeding 2.5 mg/mL (P