The Effect of Dietary Protein Source and Sulfur Amino acid Content on bone Metabolism in Growing Rats

Choi, Mi Ja; Jung, So Hyoung

Abstract

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of dietary protein source and sulfur amino acid content on bone metabolism in rats. Thirty male rats (body weight 145 +/- 2 g) were divided into three groups. The rats in the first group were fed on casein 20% diet as animal protein source and those in the second group were fed on soy 20% diet as plant protein source. Sulfur amino acid ratio of these group was 1.07 : 1. The rats in the third group were fed on soy 20% diet and the sulfur amino acid were supplemented with the amount contained as much in the soy 20% diet. All rats were fed on experimental diet and deionized water ad libitum for 9 weeks, The total body, spine, femur bone mineral density and bone mineral content were measured using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. Calcium, phosphate, pyridinoline, creatinine in urine and calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin in serum were measured. During the experimental period, plant protein (soy protein) group had a lower urinary Ca excretion, urine pyridinoline & crosslinks value and had a higher Ca efficiency in total bone and femur bone mineral density than animal protein (casein) group. There were no significant differences in serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin among the three groups of the rats. The findings from this study demonstrated that plant protein (soy protein) is beneficial of bone mineral density because it had a higher Ca efficiency in total bone and femur bone mineral density than animal protein (casein). However, the supplementation of sulfur amino acid on soy results were consistent with prior studies that dietary sulfur amino acid load had a negative effect on calcium balance. The rats fed sulfur amino acid supplementation diet increased urinary calcium excretion and decreased calcium efficiency for total and femur mineral density. Therefore, dietary protein source and sulfur amino acid content influence bone metabolism.