Role of Flaxseeds in Improving Bone Health of Female Rats with Osteoporosis by Glucocorticoids

Abstract:
Glucocorticoids (GCs) have been widely available used to treat many of chronic diseases and the long-term use or high dose of glucocorticoids can be induced bone tissue damage leading to secondary osteoporosis. This study aimed to assess the effect of flaxseeds on bone biomarkers changes in osteoporotic rats. Forty adult albino female rats weighing (180±5g) were used in this study. Rats were divided into five equal groups, (8 rats each). The first group was negative control group which was fed standard diet. From 2 to 5 group were given prednisolone by oral gavage at dosage of 10 mg/kg body weight daily for 21 days. The second group was fed on standard diet as positive control group, the third, fourth and fifth groups were fed on standard diet containing 5, 7.5 and 10% of flaxseed powder for 8 weeks respectively. Supplementation osteoporotic rats with flaxseed led to improving serum calcium, ionized calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase activity, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase activity, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity, estrogen, calcitonin, osteocalcin, parathyroid hormone and lipid levels as compared to positive control. Moreover, femur weight, length, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and BMD in osteoporotic rats supplemented with flaxseed were significantly increased as compared to osteoporotic rats. This study concluded that flaxseed is effective to improving bone health in osteoporotic rats.
Keywords: Bone mineral density, Osteocalcin, osteoporotic rats, calcitonin