Relation of boron to the composition and mechanical properties of bone.

Abstract

A review of the experimental studies relating boron to biological effects on appendicular and axial bones in animal models suggests that numerous influences, known and unknown, affect the responsiveness of bone to dietary boron. Degrees of skeletal response to boron are modified by other nutritional variables that include calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and fluoride. Evidence suggests that appendicular and axial bones may differ in their responses. Tests of the mechanical properties of bones may provide useful criteria for assessing the impacts of boron status on bone. These tests might resolve questions about optimal intakes of boron because mechanical properties sometimes respond to boron when composition of bones does not. Difficulty in interpreting some of the existing research arises because of the incipient state of knowledge regarding boron nutriture, to analytical problems associated with determining accurately the small quantities of boron in feed and tissues, and to technological difficulties in controlling extraneous exposure of experimental animals to boron. Yet there is considerable evidence that both compositional and functional properties of bone are affected by boron status. -Environ Health Perspect 102(Suppl 7): 49-53 (1994)

Effects of Feed Supplementation on Mineral Composition, Mechanical Properties and Structure in Femurs of Iberian Red Deer Hinds (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)

“…Of the remaining, which are minor minerals, Fe and Se are not reflected in their content in bones, but B and Sr are. B may be absorbed with a greater priority to counteract the lack of other minerals in the bone, as it has been shown to improve bone mechanical properties [49], [50]. Some authors reported that B and Sr were associated with increased ash content in bones [23], [51], which may explain why hinds in the control group incorporated more of these minerals in their femurs, thus reflecting the diet in contrast to Se, and why we did not find differences in ash content between groups.…”

Stimulation of Bone Formation by Dietary Boron in an Orthopedically Expanded Suture in Rabbits

“…6 In addition to its interaction with other nutrients, supplemental boron as boric acid has been shown to increase bone structure and strength in rats. 4 Wilson and Ruszler 7 have found that supplemental boron increased long-bone strength in young hens, while Mc-Coy et al 8 found considerable evidence that both compositional and functional properties of bone were affected positively by boron intake.…”

Boron in Human Nutrition and its Regulations Use

“…Studies have reported adverse effects like depressed growth, reduced serum steroid hormone concentrations, changes in plasma and organ calcium and magnesium concentrations, plasma alkaline phosphatase and bone calcification on animals' biological functions when their food is deprived in boron [27][28][29][30][31] The improvement of these adverse effects will come by increasing the boron intake [3,23,32,33]. When the level of other nutrients such as cholecalciferol and magnesium is rather low, the negative effects due to low boron intakes are accentuated [34][35][36][37]. In fish [38] and frogs [39], there are developmental defects caused by boron deprivation.…”