Effect of an Enzyme-Resistant Phosphopeptide on Calcification of Embryo Chicken Bone in Vitro

Abstract

Cultivation of embryonic chicken bone in vitro enables substances to be added to the culture medium in order to ascertain how they affect the histological development of the bone. This method has been adopted for studying an enzyme-resistant phosphopeptide extracted by Mellander from casein. By cultivating paired bones that from one side can be used as a control for the contralateral bone. The test group was given calcium complexly bound to the phosphopeptide and the control group calcium as CaCl₂. Studies of bones from embryos of different incubation ages after cultivation for various periods in media containing different concentration of calcium revealed that similar degress of ossification and rates of osteoid tissue formation were achieved when the phosphopeptide was the source of calcium as when it was CaCl₂. These experiments have demonstrated that calcium bound to a phosphopeptide can be utilized in the ossification process just as well as readily soluble inorganic calcium.