Category Archives: Supplements

Low Sodium Causes Body to Rob Bones of Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium in Women

Abstract

Negative balance of calcium and magnesium under relatively low sodium intake in humans.

The balance of minerals (sodium [Na], potassium [K], calcium [Ca], and magnesium [Mg]) was measured in six female students for 10 d while under a relatively low Na intake (100 mmol/d or 2.2 g/d) with receiving adequate Ca (20 mmol/d or 800 mg/d) and Mg (12 mmol/d or 280 mg/d). Both the plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone level were above the reference ranges throughout the experiment, which implied that the subjects were Na deficient. However, the urine Na excretion was about the same as that ingested, while there was no substantial reduction of sweat Na concentration observed during moderate physical exercise (13.2+/-2.6 mmol/L) (mean+/-SD). On the other hand, the urine Ca and Mg levels were high, but the apparent absorption of Ca and Mg was moderate (21 +/- 5%, 34 +/- 4%, respectively), which resulted in a negative balance of these two elements. It seems that the stored Na in the bone is eluted so as to compensate for the low dietary Na intake, while any excess Ca and Mg also inevitably flows into the blood stream with Na, which inhibited the intestinal absorption of both Ca and Mg and accelerates their excretion in urine.

Kodama N, Nishimuta M, Suzuki K
J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. Jun 2003
PMID: 12953799

Clove Preserves Bone in Ovariectomised Rats

Abstract

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum Linn) extract rich in eugenol and eugenol derivatives shows bone-preserving efficacy.

This study examined the efficacy of hydroalcoholic extract of dried clove buds, which is rich in phenolic compounds namely eugenol and eugenol derivatives (precursors of flavones, isoflavones and flavonoids), on different primary and secondary osteoporotic marker changes in an ovariectomised (OVX) rat model of osteoporosis. Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operated control (A), OVX (B) and OVX plus 50% hydroalcoholic extract of dried clove buds for 4 weeks (C). Results indicated that, compared to control, serum alkaline phosphatase (AP; 48.25%, p < 0.01), serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP; 63.48%, p < 0.01), urinary calcium (14.70%, p < 0.01), urinary phosphate (50.30%, p < 0.01) and urinary creatinine (122.44%, p < 0.01) were significantly altered in OVX rats. All these altered responses were significantly restored (AP: 27.53%, p < 0.01; TRAP: 33.51%, p < 0.01; calcium: 53.15%, p < 0.01; phosphate: 27.49%, p < 0.01; creatinine: 46.40%, p < 0.01) by supplementation with hydroalcoholic extract of dried clove buds. Results of bone density, bone mineral content, bone tensile strength and histological analysis also showed similar trend of results, which supported initial observations of this study. It is proposed that hydroalcoholic extract of dried clove buds has bone-preserving efficacy against hypogonadal osteoporosis.

Karmakar S, Choudhury M, Das AS, Maiti A…
Nat. Prod. Res. 2012
PMID: 21711176

Tongkat Ali Maintains Bone Calcium in Orchidectomised Rats

Abstract

The anti-osteoporotic effect of Eurycoma Longifolia in aged orchidectomised rat model.

Osteoporosis in elderly men is becoming an important health issue with the aging society. Elderly men with androgen deficiency are exposed to osteoporosis and can be treated with testosterone replacement. In this study, Eurycoma longifolia (EL), a plant with androgenic effects, was supplemented to an androgen-deficient osteoporotic aged rat as alternative to testosterone. Aged 12 months old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into groups of normal control (NC), sham-operated (SO), orchidectomised-control (OrxC), orchidectomised and supplemented with EL (Orx + El) and orchidectomised and given testosterone (Orx + T). After 6 weeks of treatment, serum osteocalcin, serum terminal C-telopeptide Type 1 collagen (CTX) and the fourth lumbar bone calcium were measured. There were no significant differences in the osteocalcin levels before and after treatment in all the groups. The CTX levels were also similar for all the groups before treatment. However, after treatment, orchidectomy had caused significant elevation of CTX compared to normal control rats. Testosterone replacements in orchidectomised rats were able to prevent the rise of CTX. Orchidectomy had also reduced the bone calcium level compared to normal control rats. Both testosterone replacement and EL supplementation to orchidectomised rats were able to maintain the bone calcium level, with the former showing better effects. As a conclusion, EL prevented bone calcium loss in orchidectomised rats and therefore has the potential to be used as an alternative treatment for androgen deficient osteoporosis.

Shuid AN, Abu Bakar MF, Abdul Shukor TA, Muhammad N…
Aging Male Sep 2011
PMID: 20874437

Onobrychis Ebenoides Has SERM-Like Activity in Ovariectomized Rats

Abstract

Protective effect of plant extract from Onobrychis ebenoides on ovariectomy-induced bone loss in rats.

Certain plant extracts have been the object of recent studies due to their mild estrogenic action and their possible potential role in osteoporosis prevention and/or treatment. The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective effect of the aqueous solution of the plant Onobrychis ebenoides, with proven in vitro mild estrogenic action, on bone mass loss of the ovariectomized (Ovx) rat experimental model of osteoporosis.
Forty intact female mature (10-month-old) Wistar rats were separated into three groups: Ovx, Ovx plus plant extract (Ph) and sham-operated (control). Ph administration in the drinking water at a dose of 300 mg/kg body weight/day commenced immediately after Ovx. Bone mineral density (BMD) values, percentage change from the baseline measurement and histomorphometry of the tibia, as well as body and uterine weight, were examined and compared between groups.
Comparison of BMD absolute values of the whole tibia of Ovx + Ph and Ovx animals at both 3 and 6 months post-Ovx were highly significant (p < 0.0005), showing a protective effect on treated animals. The extract did not appear to have such a beneficial effect on BMD of the proximal tibia of the treated animals compared to the Ovx animals after 3 months; however, a significant protective effect was observed at 6 months post-Ovx in treated animals compared to the Ovx (p = 0.015). When the % changes from baseline measurement of the whole tibia of Ovx + Ph and controls were compared, there was no significant difference at 3 or 6 months, demonstrating a highly protective effect; the respective comparisons of proximal tibia % changes did not display such protection. Body and uterine weight comparisons showed no significant difference between Ovx and treated rats, whereas, the level of significance for each group compared to controls was p < 0.0005.
The Ph studied showed a highly significant protective effect on BMD of the whole tibia of Ovx rats after 3 and 6 months of treatment, compared to the non-treated animals. Its effect on the proximal tibia was less pronounced, but also statistically significant compared to non-treated rats after 6 months. The lack of significant effect on body and uterine weight is in favor of its selective estrogen receptor modulator-like activity, and merits further studies.

Dontas I, Halabalaki M, Moutsatsou P, Mitakou S…
Maturitas Jan 2006
PMID: 15979258

Taurine No Benefit in Calcium Deficient Rats

Abstract

Effects of taurine supplementation on bone mineral density in ovariectomized rats fed calcium deficient diet.

Taurine supplementation has been shown to have a beneficial effect on femur bone mineral content in ovariectomized rats. It therefore seemed desirable to find out whether the beneficial effect of taurine on ovariectomized rats fed calcium deficient diet could also be reproduced. Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups. One group was OVX and the other group received sham operation (SHAM), and received either control diet or a taurine supplemented diet for 6 weeks. All rats were fed on calcium deficient diet (AIN-93: 50% level of calcium) and deionized water. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured in spine and femur. The serum and urine concentrations of calcium and phosphorus were determined. Bone formation was measured by serum osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations. Bone resorption rate was measured by deoxypyridinoline (DPD) crosslinks immunoassay and corrected for creatinine. Urinary calcium and phosphorus excretion, osteocalcin in blood and cross link value were not significantly different among the groups. Within the OVX group, the taurine supplemented group had not higher femur bone mineral content than the control group. This study established the need for a study on the taurine effect on bone with different calcium levels.

Choi MJ
Nutr Res Pract 2009
PMID: 20016710 | Free Full Text

This experiment was originally designed to test the ability of a taurine supplement to minimize bone loss during postmenopausal model with low calcium intake. Sulfur is predominantly responsible for determining the net endogenous acid production from protein because it is the acid precursor that is oxidized to sulfuric acid (Frassetto et al., 1998). It would therefore make sense that a dietary supplement with excess sulfur-containing amino acids (taurine) could yield increased sulfuric acid production in the body. However, these data suggest that bone mineral density per weight was increased, without changes in bone resorption and bone formation, in the taurine supplemented group, and therefore have the potential to increase bone mineral density if either the study is extended or more taurine is supplemented. The beneficial effect of taurine on ovariectomized rats fed calcium deficient diet was not reproduced. Because in this study, the control and taurine groups consumed identical diets as in the previous study (besides the calcium content), and we do not know whether intestinal calcium absorption will be increased by more taurine supplement. These results indicate that no significant differences in spine and femur BMD were found due to 2% taurine diet in OVX rats fed calcium deficient diet for 6 weeks. No positive effects of taurine on bone mineral density were found in the present study. Our failure to see an association between taurine supplementation and bone mineral density may have been related to the fact that we used calcium deficient diet and the same amount of taurine. Further investigations of the relation between taurine and calcium intake level for bone mineral density are warranted.

Phloridzin Prevents Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Rats

Abstract

Prevention of bone loss by phloridzin, an apple polyphenol, in ovariectomized rats under inflammation conditions.

Aging and sex hormones related changes lead to inflammatory and oxidant conditions, which are involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Recent studies have suggested that polyphenols may exert a protective effect in such conditions. We assessed the effect of phloridzin (Phlo), a flavonoid exclusively found in apple, on bone metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated (SH) rats with and without inflammation. Six-month-old Wistar rats were allocated to two equal groups that received either a control diet or a diet supplemented with 0.25% Phlo for 80 days. Three weeks before necropsy, inflammation was induced by subcutaneous injection of talc in 10 animals of each group. At necropsy, ovariectomy decreased both total (T-BMD) and metaphyseal (M-BMD) femoral bone mineral density (P < 0.01). Inflammation conditions, checked by an increase in the spleen weight and alpha1-acid glycoprotein concentration in OVX rats, exacerbated the decrease in T-BMD (g/cm2) (as well as M-BMD) observed in castrated animals (P < 0.05). Daily Phlo intake prevented ovariectomy-induced bone loss in conditions of inflammation as shown by T-BMD and M-BMD (P < 0.05). At the diaphyseal site, BMD was improved by Phlo in OVX rats with or without inflammation (P < 0.05). These results could be explained by changes in bone remodeling as the increased urinary deoxypyridinoline excretion in OVX and OVXinf animals was prevented by the polyphenol-rich diet (P < 0.001), while plasma osteocalcin concentration was similar in all experimental groups. In conclusion, Phlo consumption may provide protection against ovariectomy-induced osteopenia under inflammation conditions by improving inflammation markers and bone resorption.

Puel C, Quintin A, Mathey J, Obled C…
Calcif. Tissue Int. Nov 2005
PMID: 16307390

Sophorae Fructus Inhibits Osteoclasts In Vitro

Abstract

Inhibition of IL-1beta and IL-6 in osteoblast-like cell by isoflavones extracted from Sophorae fructus.

Osteoporosis is recognized as one of the major hormonal deficiency diseases, especially in menopausal women and the elderly. When estrogen is reduced in the body, local factors such as IL-1beta and IL-6, which are known to be related with bone resorption, are increased and promote osteoclastogenesis, which is responsible for bone resorption. In the present study, we investigated whether glucosidic isoflavones (Isocal, PIII) extracted from Sophorae fructus affect the proliferation of osteoblasts and prevent osteoclastogenesis in vitro by attenuating upstream cytokines such as IL-1beta and IL-6 in a human osteoblastic cell line (MG-63) and in a primary osteoblastic culture from SD rat femurs. Interestingly, IL-1beta and IL-6 mRNA were significantly suppressed in osteoblast-like cells treated with 17beta-estradiol (E2) and PIII when compared to positive control (SDB), and this suppression was more effective at 10(-8)% than at the highest concentration of 10(-4)%. In addition, these were confirmed in protein levels using ELISA assay. In the cell line, the cells showed that E2 was the most effective in osteoblastic proliferation over the whole range of concentration (10(-4)%-10(-12)%), even though PIII also showed the second greatest effectiveness at 10(-8)%. Nitric oxide (NO) was significantly (p<0.05) upregulated in PIII and E2 over the concentration range 10(-6)% to 10(-8)% when compared to SDB, without showing any dose dependency. In bone marrow primary culture, we found by TRAP assay that PIII effectively suppressed osteoclastogenesis next to E2 in comparison with SDB and culture media (control). In conclusion, these results suggest that local bone-resorbing cytokines can be regulated by PIII at lower concentrations and that, therefore, PIII may preferentially induce anti-osteoporosis response by attenuating osteoclastic differentiation and by upregulating NO.

Joo SS, Kang HC, Lee MW, Choi YW…
Arch. Pharm. Res. Dec 2003
PMID: 14723336

Sophorae Fructus Inhibit Osteoclasts Rat Bone Cells

Abstract

Isoflavones extracted from Sophorae fructus upregulate IGF-I and TGF-beta and inhibit osteoclastogenesis in rat bone marrow cells.

Isoflavones have been a central subject in research on the natural phytoestrogens found in Leguminosae. Their effects on bone formation and remodeling are important in that they can act like estrogen by binding on estrogen receptors on the target cell surface. We, therefore, believed that isoflavones may help in the treatment of patients with estrogen deficiency disease such as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) for osteoporosis. As commonly known, osteoporosis is one of the hormonal deficiency diseases, especially in menopausal women. When estrogen is no longer produced in the body a remarkable bone remodeling process occurs, and the associated events are regulated by growth factors in the osteoblast lineage. In the present study, we investigated whether isoflavones (Isocal) extracted from Sophorae fructus affect the growth factors IGF-I and TGF-beta that have been known to be related with bone formation. In the study, we found that the active control (PIII) effectively enhanced the level of nitric oxide (NO) and growth factors, and thereby inhibited osteoclastogenesis. The most efficient concentration was 10(-8)% within five days, whereas the comparative control (soybean isoflavone) was not as effective even at a lower concentration. In conclusion, the products which contain enriched glucosidic isoflavone and nutrient supplements such as shark cartilage and calcium can be used for osteoporosis therapy by enhancing the production of IGF-I and TGF-beta. Furthermore, the NO produced through endothelial constitutive NO synthase (ecNOS) may play a role in inhibiting bone reabsorption.

Joo SS, Won TJ, Kang HC, Lee DI
Arch. Pharm. Res. Jan 2004
PMID: 14969347

Sophorae Fructus Inhibits Resorption in Ovariectomized Rats

Abstract

Bone loss preventing effect of Sophorae Fructus on ovariectomized rats.

The preventive effects of Sophorae Fructus extracts (I: hot water extract and II: combination product using I) on bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) rats were investigated. Sophorae Fructus extracts were orally administrated to OVX rats for 9 weeks. Ovariectomy caused the increase of body weight and deoxypyridinoline (Dpd: bone resorption marker) and decrease of calcium (Ca: bone formation marker) level in serum. Dpd level were significantly decreased and Ca levels were elevated at 9 weeks in Sophorae Fructus extracts administered groups after ovariectomy at a dose of 0.556 g/kg/day compared with control group. In administered groups, trabecular bone area (TBA) in the tibia and lumbar were also increased compared with control group in histomorphological analysis. The preventive or treatment effects of Sophorae Fructus extracts on bone loss in OVX rats appears to be due to suppression of bone turnover.

Shim JG, Yeom SH, Kim HJ, Choi YW…
Arch. Pharm. Res. Jan 2005
PMID: 15742817

Willow-Leafed Magnolia Inhibits Osteoclasts in Ovariectomized Mice

Abstract

Extract of Magnoliae Flos inhibits ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis by blocking osteoclastogenesis and reducing osteoclast-mediated bone resorption.

Bone homeostasis is maintained by a balance between bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. Osteoporosis occurs when osteoclast activity surpasses osteoblast activity. Pro-inflammatory cytokines stimulate osteoclast differentiation and activity by increasing production of macrophage-colony stimulating factor and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL). In this study, we investigated whether Magnoliae Flos (MF), one of the most commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs for managing rhinitis, sinusitis and headache, could effectively inhibit osteoporosis. In ovariectomized (OVX) mice compared to sham mice, the body weight increased and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase 5b, calcium, and osteocalcin were significantly elevated. However, orally administrated MF extract substantially inhibited the increased body weight and serum levels of bone turnover markers, without any evidence of tissue toxicity. MF extract treatment significantly reversed the morphometric parameters of ovariectomy-induced bone loss, including trabecular bone volume, thickness, number, separation, and bone density, to almost the same levels of the sham mice. Furthermore, MF extract reduced the RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption by inhibiting the activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and cathepsin K in mouse bone marrow macrophages. MF extract appeared to increase ALP activity in murine osteoblastic cells. Taken together, MF extract may be a beneficial supplement for the blockade of osteoporosis progression, particularly for the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Jun AY, Kim HJ, Park KK, Son KH…
Fitoterapia Dec 2012
PMID: 22981503