1. Introduction
fracture, skeletal disorder, osteoporosis, osteopenia
SKELETAL DISORDER, FRAGILITY, OSTEOPENIA, ESTROGEN DEFICIENCY, OSTEOPOROSIS, OSTEOPOROSIS
Estrogen deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis and fracture. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a hop extract standardized in 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), a potent phytoestrogen, could improve bone status of osteopenic women and to explore the gut microbiome roles in this effect. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, 100 postmenopausal, osteopenic women were supplemented with calcium and vitamin D3 (CaD) tablets and either a hop extract (HE) standardized in 8-PN (Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by reduced bone mass and deterioration in bone architecture leading to increased bone fragility and fracture risk [As a novel phytoestrogen, 8-PN is unique in that its receptor specificity and potency is higher than any other phytoestrogens investigated thus far [While the presence of 8-PN in hops is low, other more abundant prenylated phenols such as xanthohumol (X) and isoxanthohumol (IX) can be metabolically converted to 8-PN. The conversion of IX into 8-PN can be accomplished enzymatically by hepatic CYP1A2 or by the gut microbiome [The present clinical trial aimed to determine whether one-year consumption of a hop extract standardized in 8-PN can moderate bone mineral density decreases in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and to explore potential mechanism of action via gut microbiome modulation.