Abstract

Bone tissue undergoes constant remodeling by reducing the accumulation of bone damage and retaining the mechanical strength of bones to sustain both structural integrity and bone density. There are two main specialized cells involved in the bone-remodeling process, osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs), which are responsible for new bone formation and aged bone resorption, respectively. The proper balancing act between bone resorption by OCs and bone deposition by OBs is essential for the active and dynamic process of bone remodeling. Polyphenols are a group of phytochemicals that are found in plants. Due to their bioactive components, like flavonoids, phenolic acids, and stilbenes, medicinal plants have long been pursued in the drug development process. Many medicinal plant extracts have been found to improve bone health. To provide more applicable preclinical research results, scientists have concentrated on developing in vitro models of bone cells by utilizing cell lines or primary cells. However, OBs and OCs do not act independently of one another, and various communication pathways between them have been discovered. This review summarizes the relevant data from existing studies on the effects of polyphenols on OBs and OCs using monocultures; these studies can be further enriched using co-culture, which represents an experimental system closer to the in vivo conditions than monoculture, allowing realistic cell– cell interactions. This information will be valuable for the development of new pharmaceutical and nutraceutical agents to treat and manage bone diseases.