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Abstract
This study examined if dietary supplementation with a combination of phytochemicals with vitamin D inhibits bone loss and decreases adiposity in ovariectomized female rats. Ovariectomized female rats were given control, vitamin D or vitamin D + resveratrol + quercetin + genistein for 8 week. The high dose combination treatment significantly reduced body weight gain (control: 805 g; vitamin D: 81.55 g; high: 62.03, p<0.05) and fat pads as a percentage of body weight (control: 7.50.2; vitamin D: 7.60.2; high: 6.40.2, p<0.05) compared to the control and vitamin D alone. Results from the DEXA showed that bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) of femora were significantly increased by the high dose combination, although they weren't different from vitamin D alone. However, BMD corrected for body weight was significantly greater in the high dose treated group compared to both the control and vitamin D groups (control: 4.70.05; vitamin D: 5.00.2; high: 5.60.2, p<0.05). Histomorphometric analysis of sections from the right tibia indicates that rats receiving the high dose combination have fewer marrow adipocytes (control: 22.861.8; vitamin D: 17.252; high: 12.530.8, p<0.001) and significantly reduced osteoclast number in trabecular bone compared to both the control and vitamin D groups (control: 4.890.5; vitamin D 5.510.7; high: 2.960.6 N.OC/B.Pm, p<0.05). We conclude that ovariectomized female rats supplemented with vitamin D and a combination of genistein, quercetin and resveratrol showed improved bone density and reduced body weight gain and marrow adipocytes compared to rats that received vitamin D alone. We predict that similar treatments in postmenopausal women would have similar effects.