Effects of spirulina, a blue-green alga, on bone metabolism in ovariectomized rats and hindlimb-unloaded mice.
The safety and effectiveness were examined of the spirulina alga on bone metabolism in ovariectomized estrogen-deficient rats and hindlimb-unloaded mice. The dosage range was from an amount equal to that recommended in so-called health foods for humans (0.08 g/kg BW/day) to a 100-fold higher dose. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole femur and tibia of ovariectomized rats in the any spirulina-treated groups was not significantly different from that of the ovariectomized group, although BMD of the distal femur and proximal tibia was significantly lower in the spirulina-treated groups than in the ovariectomized group after a 6 week-experimental period. BMD of the femur and tibia was not affected by treatment with any dose of spirulina in hindlimb-unloaded mice. These results suggest that the intake of spirulina decreased BMD in the trabecular bone of rodents under estrogen-deficient conditions.
Division of Applied Food Research, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan. ishimi@nih.go.jp
Yoshiko
Y
Ishimi
Fumie
F
Sugiyama
Junko
J
Ezaki
Maiko
M
Fujioka
Jian
J
Wu
D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D051379:Mice; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D053545:Spirulina; D016474:Weight-Bearing
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers