Effect of naringin collagen graft on bone formation

Naringin is a flavonoid available commonly in citrus fruits and is also a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. Our laboratory compared the amount of new bone produced by naringin in collagen matrix to that produced by bone grafts and collagen matrix. Twenty bone defects, 5 mm×10 mm were created in the parietal bone of 14 New Zealand White rabbits. In the experimental group, 5 defects were grafted with naringin solution mixed with collagen matrix, 5 defects were grafted with autogenous endochondral bone. In the control groups, 5 defects were grafted with collagen matrix alone (active control) and 5 were left empty (passive control). Animals were killed on day 14 and the defects were dissected and prepared for histological assessment. Serial sections were cut across each defect. Quantitative analysis of new bone formation was made on 150 sections (50 sections for each group) using image analysis. A total of 284% and 490% more new bone was present in defects grafted with naringin in collagen matrix than those grafted with bone and collagen, respectively. No bone was formed in the passive control group. In conclusion, naringin in collagen matrix have the effect of increasing new bone formation locally and can be used as a bone graft material.