title: Osteoprotective effect of Monascus-fermented dioscorea in ovariectomized rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
abstract: This experiment established the ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis and examined the effect of the oral administration of different dosages of dioscorea, red mold dioscorea (RMD), and soy isoflavones on bone mineral density (BMD). Three months after osteoporosis had been induced and 4 weeks after feeding had begun, the tibia and femur BMD of OVX rats administered RMD showed significant increases compared with that of all other groups of OVX rats. Closer examination using microcomputed tomography also revealed that the RMD-administered rats had denser trabecular bone volume and a higher trabecular number compared to all other rat groups. Reconstructed 3D imaging indicated increases in cancellous bone mineral content, cancellous bone mineral density, and cortical bone mineral content of the proximal tibia in OVX rats. These findings indicate that administration of monacolin K and phytoestrogen diosgenin could prevent bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shen-Shih
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Shang-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tzu-Ming
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density; D027742:Dioscorea / Q000737:chemistry; D004144:Diosgenin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D005415:Flavins / Q000032:analysis; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring / Q000032:analysis; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D032741:Monascus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005415:Flavins; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; C499916:ankaflavin; D008148:Lovastatin; D004144:Diosgenin; C517880:monascin