Effects of royal jelly on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women: a randomized, controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of royal jelly (RJ) supplementation on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Seventy-two healthy postmenopausal women aged 45-60 years within 5 years after menopause were randomized into two groups: women in the RJ group (n = 36) received capsules containing dried RJ (equivalent to 3000 mg of fresh RJ); and women in the placebo group (n = 36) received placebo daily for 6 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and left proximal femur, hip structural analysis (HSA) of the left hip, and bone turnover markers were measured. RESULTS: Although women in the placebo group experienced a significant loss of BMD and deterioration in HSA parameters of the femur, no significant differences were found in these parameters in women in the RJ group. The levels of total procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase decreased significantly in the placebo group; however, the total P1NP level, a marker of bone formation, was not significantly different in the RJ group at postintervention compared with baseline. CONCLUSION: RJ consumption may ameliorate decreases in femoral BMD and strength in postmenopausal women.

Improvement of neurological disorders in postmenopausal model rats by administration of royal jelly.

OBJECTIVE: Royal jelly (RJ) from honeybees (Apis mellifera) has estrogenic activity. Estrogen deficiency after menopause leads to a high risk of memory impairment and depression as well as metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis. We here investigated the effect of RJ on memory impairment and depression-like behaviors in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. METHODS: OVX rats were administered with RJ for 82 days. Hippocampus-dependent spatial memory and depression-like behaviors were assessed by the Morris water maze test and the forced swimming test, respectively. The weights of body, brain and uterus and the contents of protein and myelin galactolipids including galactosylceramide and sulfatide were measured. RESULTS: Memory impairment and depression-like behaviors in OVX rats were recovered to the levels of sham-operated rats by RJ administration. Increased body weight and decreased uterine weight in OVX rats were recovered to the levels of sham-operated rats by 17ß-estradiol (E2) administration but not by RJ administration. In contrast, brain weight was slightly increased by RJ administration but not by E2 administration. The contents of protein and myelin galactolipids were higher in the brains of RJ-administered OVX rats than in the brains of E2-administered OVX rats. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that RJ has a beneficial effect on neurological symptoms of a menopausal disorder.

Effect of the ethanol extract of Pleurotus eryngii on bone metabolism in ovariectomized rats.

OBJECTIVE: Postmenopausal bone loss and the possible progression to osteoporosis are a major health concern. Mushrooms have been recognized as functional foods. Pleurotus eryngii extract has been reported to have estrogenic activity, suggesting that its consumption may mitigate postmenopausal bone loss. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of supplementation with an ethanol extract of P. eryngii on bone metabolism in a postmenopausal osteoporosis rat model. METHODS: Female 12-week-old Wistar rats were subjected to either sham operation or bilateral ovariectomy. The ovariectomized rats were then subdivided into two groups: one fed the extract and the other not. Twelve weeks after surgery, indices of bone mass, bone histomorphometry, and bone mechanics were measured. RESULTS: The right femur bone mineral content and density of the ovariectomized group were significantly lower than in the Sham group, and extract supplementation did not have any significant effect on these differences. Furthermore, ovariectomy significantly increased measures of mineralizing surface and bone formation rates; again, extract supplementation again had no significant effect. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the ethanol extract of P. eryngii does not alter bone metabolism in ovariectomized rats, suggesting that consumption of P. eryngii may not be beneficial in slowing bone loss after menopause.

Anti-solasodine glycoside single-chain Fv antibody stimulates biosynthesis of solasodine glycoside in plants.

We constructed a recombinant antibody fragment--single chain fragment-variable (scFv) antibody--derived from hybridoma cell lines to control the concentration of solasodine glycosides in hairy root cultures of Solanum khasianum transformed by the anti-solamargine (As)-scFv gene. The properties of the As-scFv protein expressed in Escherichia coli were almost identical to those of the parent monoclonal antibody (MAb). Up to 220 ng recombinant As-scFv was expressed per milligram of soluble protein in transgenic hairy root cultures of S. khasianum. The concentration of solasodine glycosides was 2.3-fold higher in the transgenic than in the wild-type hairy root, as reflected by the soluble As-scFv level and antigen binding activities. These results suggested that the scFv antibody expressed in transgenic hairy roots controlled the antigen level, thus representing a novel plant breeding methodology that can produce secondary metabolites.

Isolation and analysis of cDNA encoding a precursor of Canavalia ensiformis asparaginyl endopeptidase (legumain).

Recently, asparaginyl endopeptidase was purified to homogeneity from jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) seeds, and its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence was determined for 25 residues [Abe, Y. et al. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 3525-3529]. On the basis of this sequence information, we searched for seed cDNAs encoding this enzyme. Seven clones were obtained and sequenced. By combining four of them, we obtained a cDNA for a precursor of the enzyme containing the reported NH2-terminal sequence. The other three clones seemed to be for precursors of its isozymes. When the deduced amino acid sequences of these enzyme precursors were compared with those in the GeneBank, EMBL, and NBRF databases, only one protein was found with a homologous sequence. It was a precursor of hemoglobinase from a blood fluke (Schistosoma mansoni). Significant homology was observed only in the range of sequence for the mature form. Although hemoglobinase and asparaginyl endopeptidase behave as cysteine proteinases, their protein natures are distinct from either papain-type proteinases or clostripain. Various plant seeds have been reported to contain asparaginyl endopeptidases. This may be the first report, however, that deals with the primary structure of such a proteinase.

Cholinergic stimulation of the rat hypothalamus: effects of liver glycogen synthesis.

Cholinergic stimulation of the lateral hypothalamic neurons with intrahypothalamic microinjections of acetylcholine or carbachol caused a marked increase in the content of the active form of glycogen (starch) synthase in the liver. Total activity of the enzyme (active plus inactive forms) was not increased significantly. The lowest effective dose of acetylcholine was 5 X 10(-10) mole, and the optimum dose was 5 X 10(-9) mole. Similar applications of other neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, did not affect the enzyme's activity.