Hydrolyzed collagen improves bone status and prevents bone loss in ovariectomized C3H/HeN mice

This study evaluates the effect of hydrolyzed collagen (HC) on bone health of ovariectomized mice (OVX) at different ages. Twenty-six weeks after the OVX procedure, HC ingestion was still able to improve significantly bone mineral density (BMD) and some femur biomechanical parameters. Moreover, HC ingestion for 1 month before surgery prevented BMD decrease. HC can play an important role in preserving BMD before osteoporosis appears. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of HC on bone health of ovariectomized mice at different ages. Female C3H mice were either OVX at 3 or 6 months and fed for 6 months (first experiment) or 3 months (second experiment) with diet including 0, 10, or 25 g/kg of HC. In the second experiment, one group received HC 1 month before surgery, and two groups received the supplementation immediately after surgery, one fed ad libitum and the other by gavage. Mice treated with raloxifene were used as a positive control. BMD, femur intrinsic and extrinsic biomechanical properties, and type I collagen C-terminal telopeptide were measured after 12 and 26 weeks. Food intake and spontaneous physical activity were also recorded. The OVX procedure increased body weight, while food intake decreased, thus suggesting that resting metabolism was decreased. Ingestion of 25 g/kg of HC for 3 or 6 months reduced bone loss significantly in, respectively, 3- and 6-month-old OVX mice. The lowest HC concentration was less efficient. HC ingestion for 3 months is as efficient as raloxifene to protect 3-month-old OVX mice from bone loss. Our results also demonstrated that HC ingestion before surgery prevented the BMD decreases. This study confirms that dietary collagen reduces bone loss in OVX mice by increasing the diameter of the cortical areas of femurs and can have a preventive effect.