Effect of Cili Extract on Calcium Absorption and Bone Metabolism in Rats.

Abstract

To investigate whether cili extract affects calcium absorption, 3-week old male Wistar rats were fed a diet containing 4. 5% cili extract or a control diet. At 23days after the initiation of feeding trial, the animals were subjected to 5-clays balance study. At 28days, plasma, small intestine and femur were collected. Transepithelial calcium transport of rats fed cili extract was examined using the everted gut sac procedure. Cili extract was considered to promote calcium transport in the upper small intestine and to affect the saturable pathway. Longitudial growth of femur was significantly (P<0.01) suppressed by cili extract, while specific gravity, density and calcium content were significantly (P<0.05) increased. On the other hand, plasma calcitonin, bone turnover indices ie. tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase in femur were not changed by cili extract. These actions of cili extract were similar to those of phytoestrogen.