Marlena Kruger

Massey University, School of Food and Nutrition, Faculty Member

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I am a human physiologist with a strong interest in bone and joint health. I am professor of Nutritional Physiology and Associate Dean Higher Degree Research in the College of Health. My expertise includes a variety of models for research, in vitro, in vivo as well as human intervention studies.

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Effect of Kiwifruit on Bone Resorption in Ovariectomized Mice

Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 2015

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is caused by estrogen deficiency and leads to an increase in risk for... more Postmenopausal osteoporosis is caused by estrogen deficiency and leads to an increase in risk for bone fracture. Hormone replacement therapy is most effective for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis (1); however, it increases the risk for breast and uterine cancers (2). Therefore, the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis is important to maintain health and quality of life. Recently, researchers have demonstrated beneficial health effects of kiwifruit on human health. In male smokers fed 3 green kiwifruit (GRK) per day for 8 wk, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced (3). Consumption of 2 GRK per day for 4 wk significantly increased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C ratios in hypercholesterolaemic men compared to a control diet (4). Furthermore, freeze-dried kiwifruit (equivalent of 2 fresh kiwifruit) had a prebiotic effect by promoting the content of faecal lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in healthy female adults for as long as the kiwifruit was consumed (5). Kiwifruit is a good source of dietary components such as vitamin C, fiber, and phytochemicals (6-9), all of which are known to provide beneficial effects on human health. However, there have been few studies regarding the effects of kiwifruit on bone metabolism. We have recently examined the synergistic effects of soybean isoflavones and several food components from New Zealand on isoflavone metabolism, gut microflora, and bone health. In the series of studies, kiwifruit had protective effects with daidzein on bone metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) rats (10). The results showed that the combination of daidzein with either GRK or gold kiwifruit (GOK) prevented an ovariectomy-induced decline in bone mineral density (BMD). However, the effect of kiwifruit alone was not assessed and the effects of kiwifruit on bone metabolism are not well known, as stated above. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of two types of kiwifruit, GRK and GOK, on bone metabolism in OVX mice. We determined the changes in bone metabolism in OVX mice fed diets containing GRK or GOK using markers of bone turnover and bone resorption-related molecular markers by realtime reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Materials and Methods This study was approved by the Massey University Animal Ethics Committee (approval number 13/38).

Marlena Kruger

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