The effect of a holistic supplement on bone growth, bending strength, and gene expression during embryonic development of a chickenin ovo

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue. Understanding the effect of mineral supplementation on bone growth may lead to the development of treatments for bone deteriorating diseases. Trace Minerals® Essential Elements (Entrenet Nutritionals, Cuddy, PA) is a holistic supplement designed to improve mineral balance and deficiency in humans. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of in ovo mineral supplementation with or without calcium on bone growth, bending strength, and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) gene expression during chicken development. Treatment groups consisted of a saline control (S), Essential Elements (E), and Essential Elements plus calcium (C) injected on the 6th day of embryonic development. Growth parameters and whole embryo samples were collected on the 18th day of incubation. Measurements of various morphological features showed no significant difference between the three treatments. The bone strength of the E group was numerically lower when compared to the control whereas the C group had numerically higher bone strength values than the control. Gene expression of CNP was significantly (P=0.0021) higher in the C group compared to the S group, whereas HDAC4 was not found to be significantly different between the treatments. Overall, proper mineral balance is essential for optimum bone growth and development; modifications in mineral intake balance can present as enhanced bone mineral density, accelerated bone growth, or hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis.