Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Korean safflower(Carthamus. tinctorious L.) seed powder supplementation on bone metabolism during the recovery of rib-fracture induced by surgical operation in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats of 10 weeks old, weighing 370$\pm$5g, were divided into two groups after arrival : the control group(C group, AIN-76 semifurified diet) and safflower seed group(S group, AIN-76 semifurified diet+10% safflower seed powder). They were fed experimental diets for 12 days before the rib fracture operation and for 30 more days after the operation. A number 9 rib was fractured surgically and sham-operation was also performed. After the rib-fracture operation, rats were sacrificed on the 8th, 11th, 16th, 21st, and 30th day, respectively. The body weights were decreased on the 8th day after operation in both groups but recovered gradually thereafter. The fractured sections of the S group were more strongly adhered and more rapidly repaired than those of C group. Effects of safflower seed powder supplementation on indices of bone metabolism during the repairing of rib-fracture can be summarized as following. There were no differences between C and S group. In the levels of PTH and calcitonin, which regulate the concentration of plasma calcium. However, PTH level on the 8th day was significantly higher than that on the 16th day in control group. There were also no differences between groups or within groups in the levels of calcitonin. Osteocalcin levels, one of the bone-formation indices, were similar in two groups. Activities of total-ALP in plasma were highest at the 8th day in both groups and decreased thereafter, except on the 30th day in control group. The activities of bone-specific ALP that is directly related to bone calcification, showed higher levels in the S group than in the C group throughout the experimental period. They were significantly increased in the S group on the 11th, 16th, and 21st days. In comparisons of plasma calcium and phosphate levels, Ca levels were tended to be lower in the S group than in the C group and P levels showed the opposite trend. It seems that the fractured ribs were more rapidly repaired in rats supplemented with safflower seed powder than in control rats, possibly due to stimulation of bone calcification from increased activity of bone-specific ALP. (Korean J Nutrition 31(6) : 1049-1056, 1998)
