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Blueberry Polyphenols do not Improve Bone Mineral Density or Mechanical Properties in Ovariectomized Rats

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Abstract

Osteoporosis-related bone fragility fractures are a major public health concern. Given the potential for adverse side effects of pharmacological treatment, many have sought alternative treatments, including dietary changes. Based on recent evidence that polyphenol-rich foods, like blueberries, increase calcium absorption and bone mineral density (BMD), we hypothesized that blueberry polyphenols would improve bone biomechanical properties. To test this, 5-month-old ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 10/gp) were orally gavaged for 90 days with either a purified extract of blueberry polyphenols (0–1000 mg total polyphenols/kg bw/day) or lyophilized blueberries (50 mg total polyphenols/kg bw/day). Upon completion of the dosing regimen, right femur, right tibia, and L1–L4 vertebrae were harvested and assessed for bone mineral density (BMD), with femurs being further analyzed for biomechanical properties via three-point bending. There were no differences in BMD at any of the sites analyzed. For bone mechanical properties, the only statistically significant difference was the high dose group having greater ultimate stress than the medium dose, although in the absence of differences in other measures of bone mechanical properties, we concluded that this result, while statistically significant, had little biological significance. Our results indicate that blueberry polyphenols had little impact on BMD or bone mechanical properties in an animal model of estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01AT008754). KMHG received partial salary support through NIH K01DK102864. The authors thank Pamela Lachcik, Dr. Maria Maiz, and Dr. Sisi Cao for their assistance with animal procedures and sample collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, Purdue University, 745 Agriculture Mall Dr, W Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Dennis P. Cladis & Connie M. Weaver

  2. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Dennis P. Cladis & Kathleen M. Hill Gallant

  3. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Elizabeth A. Swallow & Matthew R. Allen

Authors
  1. Dennis P. Cladis
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  2. Elizabeth A. Swallow
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  4. Kathleen M. Hill Gallant
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  5. Connie M. Weaver
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Contributions

DPC and CMW designed the primary study, and KMGH contributed to the design of this ancillary analysis. CMW was PI for grant funding the research; DPC performed all animal procedures and BMD analysis; EAS and MRA performed the bone mechanical tests and analyzed these data. DPC, EAS, and KMHG drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Connie M. Weaver.

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Conflict of interest

Dennis Cladis, Elizabeth Swallow, Matthew Allen, Kathleen Hill Gallant, and Connie Weaver declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

Animal experiments were conducted in adherence to Purdue University Animal Care and Use Committee (PACUC) guidelines, following an approved protocol (1808001790).

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Cladis, D.P., Swallow, E.A., Allen, M.R. et al. Blueberry Polyphenols do not Improve Bone Mineral Density or Mechanical Properties in Ovariectomized Rats. Calcif Tissue Int 110, 260–265 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-021-00905-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-021-00905-5

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