Background: Osteoporosis is a serious condition in which bone of the skeleton deteriorates substantially, resulting from an imbalance of the bone remodeling process. Affecting more than 40 million Americans, osteoporosis leads to major fractures of the hip, spine. Although many forms of treatment are widely used, including anabolic and anti-resorptive agents, the vast majority of prescribed medications have minor to severe adverse effects. Thus, many sufferers of osteoporosis seek natural forms of treatment. Estrogen replacement therapy is effective in preventing and treating ovarian hormone-deficiency bone loss, yet the risks far exceed the benefits. Similar to soy isoflavonic compounds, which have been shown to exude beneficial effects on bone metabolism, ferutinin, a daucane extract of the giant fennel (Ferula communis) are believed to have estrogen-like activity. Purpose: To elucidate the effects of ferutinin on osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization. Methods: MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast-like cells were treated with ferutinin (10-12, 10-10, 10-8, 10-6, 10-5, 10-4 M), 17ß-estradiol (10-8 M), or no treatment (control). Cells cultured in an osteogenic medium (50 μg/ml ascorbic acid & 10 mM ß-glycerophosphate) contatining 5% charcoal-dextran treated FBS for up to nine, fifteen, or twenty-eight days for the assessment of the following: cell viability using an MTT assay, alkaline phosphatase activity measured colorimetrically, calcium nodule formation and mineralization using 40 mM alizarin red stain which was lifted and absorbance measured, and osteocalcin concentrations. Results: Cell viability remained stable in cells treated with 10-12, 10-10, 10-8, and 10-6 M of ferutinin. Alkaline phosphatase activity was enhanced but not significantly (13.4% greater than control) in cells treated with 10-10 M ferutinin. Osteocalcin levels and the absorbance of retained stain ferutinin-treated cells were not significant. Conclusions: Ferutinin at a dose of 10-10 M appeared to have a mild augmenting effect on osteoblastic differentiation; however, further experimentation with other in vitro and vivo models is needed to fully elucidate its effects. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2011. / June 29, 2011. / Ferutinin, MC3T3-E1 cells, differentiation, alkaline phosphatase / Includes bibliographical references. / Bahram H. Arjmandi, Professor Directing Thesis; Maria Spicer, Committee Member; Cathy W. Levenson, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_253860 |
| Contributors | Elam, Marcus L. (authoraut), Arjmandi, Bahram H. (professor directing thesis), Spicer, Maria (committee member), Levenson, Cathy W. (committee member), Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Science (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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