Evaluation of the effect of soybean milk and soybean milk peptide on bone metabolism in the rat model with ovariectomized osteoporosis.

We have reported that soybean milk is an excellent source for increasing bone mineral density (BMD) and mechanical bone strength. However, it is not known what kind of components in soybean milk affect bone metabolism. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to find the effective components in soybean milk on bone metabolism. It might be some peptide in soybean milk. Therefore, in this study the soybean milk was separated into two different preparations according to molecular weight: a high-molecular-weight soybean milk, and a low-molecular-weight soybean milk. Then, the effect of the peptides in soybean milk on bone metabolism was examined. After producing the experimental osteoporotic model rats, they were divided into four groups. The BMD and the mechanical bone strength of the three experimental groups, whose diet contained a soybean milk, a high-molecular soybean milk, or a low-molecular soybean milk (soybean milk peptide) were significantly higher than those of the control group. Moreover, the intestinal Ca absorption for the three experimental groups was significantly increased. From these results, the peptides in the soybean milk are effective for the acceleration of the intestinal Ca absorption. It is possible to assume that the mechanism for increasing the BMD and the mechanical strength in the three experimental groups was due to increasing the intestinal Ca absorption by alimenting the soybean milk, the high-molecular soybean milk or the low-molecular soybean milk.