Nowadays, there is an increasing demand of healthier plant calcium supplements. Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL) are rich in calcium and thus are promising candidates for developing efficient calcium supplements. Here, using fermentation-based approaches, we developed a Moringa oleifera leaf ferment (MOLF), which contents higher levels of calcium. The therapeutic potential of the MOLF was also examined both in vitro and in vivo. Nine lactic acid bacteria and four yeasts were tested for better fermentation of MOL. Calcium-deficient rats were used for evaluating the therapeutic effects of MOLF. The results of liquid fermentation showed that the mixture of Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus acidophilus , and Candida utilis elevated the content of MOL calcium most strikingly, with the content of calcium increased nearly 2.4-fold (from 2.08% to 4.90%). The resulting MOLF was then subjected to cell experiments and animal experiments. The results showed that calcium absorption in Caco-2 cells in MOLF group was higher than that in CaCl2 group significantly. Interestingly, in calcium-deficient rats, MOLF treatment significantly increased the thickness of cortical bone, rat body weight, wet weight of the femur, and the femur bone density, whereas it decreased osteoclast numbers. These results indicate that microbial fermentation increased calcium bioavailability of MOL, promote the growth and development of calcium-deficient rats, bone calcium deposition, and bone growth; enhance bone strength; reduce bone resorption; and prevent calcium deficiency.
Keywords: Moringa oleifera leaf; bone mineral density; calcium absorption; microbial fermentation.
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