title: Boron enhances strength and alters mineral composition of bone in rabbits fed a high energy diet.
abstract: An experiment was performed to determine whether boron had a beneficial effect on bone strength and composition in rabbits with apparent adiposity induced by a high energy diet. Sixty female New Zealand rabbits, aged 8 months, were randomly divided into five groups with the following treatments for seven months: control 1, fed alfalfa hay only (5.91 MJ/kg); control 2, high energy diet (11.76 MJ and 3.88 mg boron/kg); B10, high energy diet+10 mg/kg body weight boron gavage/96 h; B30, high energy diet+30 mg/kg body weight boron gavage/96 h; B50, high energy diet+50mg/kg body weight boron gavage/96 h. Bone boron concentrations were lowest in rabbits fed the high energy diet without boron supplementation, which suggested an inferior boron status. Femur maximum breaking force was highest in the B50 rabbits. Tibia compression strength was highest in B30 and B50 rabbits. All boron treatments significantly increased calcium and magnesium concentrations, and the B30 and B50 treatments increased the phosphorus concentration in tibia of rabbits fed the high energy diet. The B30 treatment significantly increased calcium, phosphorus and magnesium concentrations in femur of rabbits fed the high energy diet. Principal component analysis of the tibia minerals showed that the three boron treatments formed a separate cluster from controls. Discriminant analysis suggested that the concentrations of the minerals in femur could predict boron treatment. The findings indicate boron has beneficial effects on bone strength and mineral composition in rabbits fed a high energy diet.
authors.affiliation: Selcuk University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Periodontology, Konya, Turkey. sshakki@selcuk.edu.tr
authors.forename: Sema S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hakki
authors.forename: Niyazi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dundar
authors.forename: Seyit Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kayis
authors.forename: Erdogan E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Hakki
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamurcu
authors.forename: Ulku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kerimoglu
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baspinar
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basoglu
authors.forename: Forrest H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D001895:Boron / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011817:Rabbits; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D001895:Boron