Emerging role of alpha-lipoic acid in the prevention and treatment of bone loss.

Osteoporosis is a chronic disease associated with decreased bone density that afflicts millions of people worldwide. Current pharmacological treatments are limited, costly, and linked to several negative side effects. These factors are driving current interest in the clinical use of naturally occurring bioactive compounds to mitigate bone loss. Alpha-lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant and essential member of mitochondrial dehydrogenases, has shown considerable promise as an antiosteoclastogenic agent due to its potent reactive oxygen species-scavenging capabilities along with a proven clinical safety record. Collectively, current data indicate that alpha-lipoic acid protects from bone loss via a 2-pronged mechanism involving inhibition of osteoclastogenic reactive oxygen species generation and upregulation of redox gene expression.