MMP3 and osteoporosis: To verify the protective effect of curculigoside on osteoporosis, in vitro validation was conducted by detecting the expression of cross-targets (e.g., IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)3, MMP9, caspase-3) in rat bone tissue using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).