Because the growing old inhabitants world wide grows, metabolic ailments like osteoporosis have gotten extra prevalent and inserting a larger burden on well being care methods. Rising to this problem, a analysis workforce led by Prof. Wong Ka-hing, Director of the Analysis Institute for Future Meals and Professor of the Division of Meals Science and Diet at The Hong Kong Polytechnic College (PolyU), has developed novel selenium nanoparticles (Cs4-SeNPs) for managing postmenopausal osteoporosis.

The most recent analysis findings have been just lately printed in Journal of Practical Meals.

Selenium (Se) is an important hint mineral for human well being, taking part in essential roles in lots of physiological capabilities. Previously many years, substantial proof has demonstrated that Se deficiency is detrimental to bone microarchitecture and is related to osteoporosis, suggesting its essential function in bone metabolism.

Lately, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have turn into a brand new goal of analysis, since they have been discovered to own exceptional bioactivity and decrease toxicity in comparison with selenocompounds generally present in meals. Nevertheless, scientific analysis regarding their results on bone well being is at the moment very restricted.

Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. is a medicinal fungus which has been lengthy used as a tonic and therapeutic agent. By utilizing polysaccharide–protein complexes (PSPs) remoted from the C. sinensis mycelium (Cs4) and a beforehand patented nanotechnology, the analysis workforce has just lately ready novel selenium nanoparticles with a uniform construction and excessive stability (Cs4-SeNPs).

In experiments utilizing pre-osteoblast murine MC3T3-E1 cells, the analysis workforce demonstrated that Cs4-SeNPs have been taken up quickly and effectively by the cells. Therapy with Cs4-SeNPs (10µM) elevated proliferation of the MC3T3-E1 cells and promoted their differentiation to mature osteoblasts. Enhancement of bone mineralization of the MC3T3-E1 cells was additionally noticed, indicating the selling impact of Cs4-SeNPs on new bone formation.

Additional investigation of their motion mechanism revealed that Cs4-SeNPs induced the manufacturing of physiological ranges of reactive oxygen species to set off osteoblast differentiation. Apparently, comparability of those results with these of frequent selenocompounds discovered that solely Cs4-SeNPs confirmed important osteogenic exercise, and it was much less poisonous to the cells.

Extra importantly, Cs4-SeNPs (25–500μg/kg BW/day) exhibited promising in vivo bone protecting efficacy towards OVX-induced osteoporosis by selling bone formation, inhibiting bone resorption, and enhancing bone microarchitecture after oral gavage for six weeks.

The workforce is at the moment working with native business companions to carry the ensuing well being meals merchandise to market. Prof. Wong stated, “The novel nano-mineral Cs4-SeNPs has a large spectrum of well being promotion and illness prevention purposes, not only for postmenopausal osteoporosis administration.

“Aside from creating a high-quality, protected and evidence-based bone protecting agent to enhance the standard of lifetime of postmenopausal osteoporosis sufferers, our workforce is now investigating the consequences of Cs4-SeNPs on treating Parkinson’s illness and extra. We hope to faucet into its potential biomedical worth by means of interdisciplinary collaboration, thus additional selling analysis and purposes in associated fields.”