Protective effects of bovine colostrum acid proteins on bone loss of ovariectomized rats and the ingredients identification

Scope: Milk basic proteins and bovine colostrum extracts have preventive effects on osteoporosis. However, the effects of bovine colostrum acidic proteins (BCAP) on properties of bone have not been reported. This study investigated the effect of BCAP on the prevention of bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Methods and results: Forty-eight 3-month old female Sprague-Dawley rats were OVX and another 12 rats underwent a sham operation (Sham). The OVX rats were randomly separated into four groups, i.e. OVX control, OVX plus 2mg/day BCAP, OVX plus 10mg/day BCAP, and OVX plus 50mg/day BCAP, and were gavaged once per day for 12wk. The effects on bone mineral content, bone mineral density, microarchitecture and biomechanical properties were determined. The bioactive ingredients in BCAP were isolated and identified. Results showed that BCAP increased the bone mineral content and bone mineral density of the femur in a dose-dependent manner. Scanning electron microscope observation and mechanical testing further confirmed the positive effects of BCAP. These positive effects attribute to the fact that osteopontin, lactoferrin, epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-2 are the dominant proteins in BCAP. Conclusions: BCAP (2-50mg/day) could prevent osteoporosis caused by bone loss in OVX rats.