Noor Nordin

Doctor of Philosophy, (Health Sciences)
Study Completed: 2017
College of Health

Citation

Thesis Title
The impact of selenium-rich green and black tea water extracts on bone health in vitro, and in an animal model of osteoporosis

Read article at Massey Research Online: MRO icon

Tea consumption could provide beneficial effects on bone health and represent an alternative strategy for the prevention and management of osteoporosis. However, studies concerning the effects of tea with high selenium content have not yet been conducted. Ms Nordin investigated whether selenium-rich green and black teas would be more effective in preventing postmenopausal bone loss than regular green and black teas. Her research was conducted through a series of studies involving a variety of cellular assays, a young growing rat model, and an ovariectomy-induced bone loss rat model of osteoporosis. She found that regardless of selenium content, tea may exert stimulating effects on in vitro bone metabolism part-mediated through its prebiotic influence on gut microbiota, and not via a direct antioxidant mechanism. However, data was insufficient to confirm any conclusive effects of these teas on bone mass following consumption in rats.

Supervisors
Professor Marlena Kruger
Dr Wei-Hang Chua
Dr Abdul-Lateef Molan