Dried pomegranate potentiates anti-osteoporotic and anti-obesity activities of red clover dry extracts in ovariectomized rats

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 2622 - 2647
• Main Authors: Kang, Su Jin, Choi, Beom Rak, Kim, Seung Hee, Yi, Hae Yeon, Park, Hye Rim, Kim, Dong Chul, Choi, Seong Hun, Han, Chang Hyun, Park, Soo Jin, Song, Chang Hyun, Ku, Sae Kwang, Lee, Young Joon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 09.04.2015; MDPI
• Subjects: 2:1 mixture; Alkaline Phosphatase - blood; Animals; anti-climacteric effects; Anti-Obesity Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Bone Density - drug effects; Bone Resorption - drug therapy; Desiccation; Dietary supplements; dried pomegranate concentrate powder; Electronic mail systems; Estradiol - blood; Estrogens; Female; Femur - drug effects; Femur - metabolism; Fruit; Herbal medicine; Laboratory animals; Metabolic disorders; Obesity; Oophorectomy; Osteocalcin - blood; Osteoporosis; Osteoporosis - drug therapy; Ovariectomy; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Preparations - pharmacology; Preventive medicine; Punicaceae; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Red clover; red clover extracts; Seeds; Tibia - drug effects; Tibia - metabolism; Trifolium - chemistry
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu7042622

Red clover (RC) shows potential activity against menopausal symptoms and pomegranates have antioxidative and beneficial effects on postmenopausal symptoms; thus, we investigated whether the anti-climacteric activity of RC could be enhanced by the addition of dried pomegranate concentrate powder (PCP) extracts in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Regarding the anti-osteoporotic effects, bone mineral density increased significantly in OVX induced rats treated with 60 and 120 mg/kg of an RC:PCP 2:1 mixture, respectively, compared with OVX control rats. Additionally, femoral, tibia, and L4 bone resorption was decreased in OVX induced control rats treated with the RC:PCP 2:1 mixture (60 and 120 mg/kg), respectively, compared with OVX control rats. Regarding anti-obesity effects, the OVX induced rats treated with 60 and 120 mg/kg of the RC:PCP 2:1 mixture showed a decrease in total fat pad thickness, the mean diameters of adipocytes and the body weights gain compared with OVX induced control rats. The estradiol and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly increased in OVX induced rats treated with the RC:PCP 2:1 mixture (120 mg/kg) compared with OVX induced control rats, also, the uterine atrophy was significantly inhibited in 60 and 120 mg/kg of the RC:PCP 2:1 mixture treatment compared with OVX control rats. In conclusion, our results indicate that PCP enhanced the anti-climacteric effects of RC in OVX rats. The RC:PCP 2:1 mixture used in this study may be a promising new potent and protective agent for relieving climacteric symptoms.