PSJ Web Site
J-STAGE
  Software Requirements
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher and Netscape Navigator 4.75 or higher are recommended.


J.Health Sci.,45(5), 251-255,1999

Anabolic Effect of Soybean Saponin on Bone Components in the Femoral Tissues of Rats

Rie Ono and Masayoshi Yamaguchi


Laboratory of Endocrinology and Molecular Metabolism, Graduate School of Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan and Department of Research and Development, Marumiya K.K, 2211 Uchida, Kikusui-machi, Tamana Gunn, Kumamoto 865-0104, Japan

The effect of soybean saponin on bone components in the femoral tissues of rats was investigated. Rats were orally administered saponin (100 mu g/ml/100 g body weight) for 10 d. The administration caused a significant increase in calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content in the diaphyseal and metaphyseal tissues of the femur in the animals. When bone tissues were cultured for 24 h in a medium containing either vehicle or saponin (10 mu g/ml of medium), the presence of saponin caused a significant rise in calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity, and DNA content in the femoral-diaphyseal and metaphyseal tissues. The effect of saponin in increasing bone components was completely prevented by the presence of cycloheximide (10-【6】 M), suggesting that the saponin effect is partly based on a newly synthesized protein component. This study demonstrates that soybean saponin has an anabolic effect on bone components in rats, suggesting its role as a nutritional factor in the prevention of osteoporosis.