Investigating the Osteogenic Potential of Quercetin in Lipopolysaccharide Treated Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells- an Invitro Study

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of Quercetin in mitigating Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory suppression and promoting osteogenic differentiation in human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells (hPDLSCs). Materials and Methods: hPDLSCs were cultured with LPS to create an inflammatory microenvironment. Cells were then treated with Quercetin at concentrations of 2.5 µM, 5 µM, and 10 µM. The mRNA expression levels of key osteogenic markers, Osteopontin (OPN) and Osteocalcin (OCN), were quantified using real-time quantitative PCR on Day 14. Statistical analysis employed Welch one-way ANOVA and Games–Howell for pairwise comparisons. Results: LPS significantly suppressed the expression of both OPN and OCN compared to the control group. However, Quercetin treatment effectively restored and dose-dependently upregulated these markers. The highest efficacy was observed at 10 µM Quercetin, which resulted in OPN expression of and OCN expression of relative to the control. A strong monotonic upregulation for both markers was confirmed, indicating enhanced osteogenic differentiation. Discussion and Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Quercetin effectively counteracts LPS-induced osteogenic suppression in hPDLSCs, suggesting its capacity to modulate inflammatory and differentiation pathways. These findings highlight Quercetin's significant therapeutic potential as a natural compound for novel periodontitis therapies and for promoting periodontal tissue regeneration. Future research should focus on optimizing dosage and exploring long-term effects.