Abstract
This study was designed to examine the effect of different kinds of calcium enrichment on serum and urine indices of mineral status in ovariectomized rats. Twenty-four 7-week-old Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided into four groups, ovariectomized, and fed diets containing the following: (1) Control, non–Ca-enriched milk; (2) OVX1, calcium carbonate-enriched milk; (3) OVX2, ionized Ca-enriched milk; and (4) OVX3, nano-Ca-enriched milk. After 18 weeks of feeding, the food efficiency ratio in the nano-Ca-fed group was significantly lower compared with those in the Control and OVX2 groups. There was no difference in serum and fecal Ca among the groups. The bone/total alkaline phosphatase ratio was significantly higher in rats fed milk enriched with nano-Ca (59%) and calcium carbonate (62%) than in control (44%) animals. Urinary Ca was the highest in the nano-Ca-enriched group; however, urinary excretions of deoxypyridinoline and hydroxyproline were significantly decreased in the nano-Ca-enriched group. The present results indicate that consumption of nano-Ca-enriched milk resulted in an increase of urinary excretion of calcium and a decrease in deoxypyridinoline and hydroxyproline in ovariectomized rats.