Dietary sesame diminishes bone mass and bone formation indices in ovariectomized rats

Abstract

Dietary sesame diminishes bone mass and bone formation indices in ovariectomized rats R. Tachibana1, H. Matsushita1; , A. Minami2, N. Morita1, S. Shimizu1, H. Kanazawa3, T. Suzuki2, K. Watanabe1, A. Wakatsuki1 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi (Japan) 2Department of Biochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka (Japan) 3Department of Functional Anatomy, School of Nursing, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka (Japan) Summary Purpose: This animal experiment investigated how sesame seed (Sesamum indicum; SSI) extract affects bone metabolism in ovariectomized (Ovx) rats. Materials and methods: Female Wistar rats (12 weeks old) were randomly assigned to the Baseline control (BC), Sham, Ovx, and Ovx + SSI groups (n = 6-10). Animals in the BC group were sacrificed immediately. Rats in the other groups underwent sham surgery (Sham) or bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx and Ovx + SSI). Rats in the Ovx + SSI group were given custom diets, and BMD and bone histomorphometry were evaluated 13 weeks post-surgery. Results: The femur BMD in the Ovx + SSI group was lower than in the Ovx group, as were the measurements for bone formation rate and mineralizing surface. Conclusion: Administration of a methanol extract of sesame seeds decreased femur BMD in Ovx rats. Key words: Bone mineral density; Bone histomorphometry; Menopause; Ovariectomy; Rat; Sesame.