Review of Scientific Literature on
ELK VELVET ANTLER3. Velvet Antler
Composition
The developing antler is composed of an aggregate of
distinct cell types including fibroblasts, chondroblasts, chondrocytes, and osteocytes
(Banks and Newberry 1982). Growing antler tips are composed of minute millimeters of
undifferentiated mesenchymal cells that begin to differentiate very abruptly as
cartilaginous tissue. Afterward the cartilage is replaced by bone, under the influence of
testosterone and its metabolites, and the velvet is shed leaving mature hard antler
(Fenessy and Suttie 1985). Consequently when velvet antler is harvested at suitable stages
for use as high quality oriental medicines, it is actively growing cartilage-type tissue
which is not of uniform composition, that is sought. Chemical identification of antler is
currently being explored by Canadian scientists to identify the active components, and to
locate the quality and criterion of antler and antler by-products by utilizing chemical
markers (Sunwoo et al. 1995).
The rate of mineralization or calcification of velvet
antler is commonly referred to as a gauge of the probable pharmacological quality, with
heavily calcified velvet antler being downgraded. The constituents of dry matter analysis
of velvet antler demonstrate that collagen, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium increase
upward, while protein and lipids decrease downward from the tip to the base of the main
beam in growing antler.
However this largely depends on the stage of growth as is
indicated by the relative mineral content in the lower section of velvet antlers cut at
different stages of growth after casting. The effect of stage of development on lipid
content is also significant. Amino acid contents stated as a percentage of total protein
and lipid is considerably higher in the tip section, from which the antler grows. The
concentrations of uronic acid, sulfated glycosaminoglycan, and sialic acid decrease from
the tip portion downward towards the base of the growing antler. The tip segment has the
best proportions of tyrosine and isoleucine and the smallest proportions of glycine and
alanine. Linolenic acid was discovered in the tip segment only.
Recent studies at the University of Alberta, Canada has
shown that velvet antlers contain chondroitin sulfate as a major glycosaminoglycan with
small amounts of keratin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, and dermatan sulfate (Sunwoo et al.
1997). Even more recently, the same researchers in Canada have extracted and characterized
proteoglycans from the cartilaginous portion of velvet antler from wapiti, and found two
types of proteoglycans including large chodroitin sulfate proteoglycan and small
proteoglycan, decorin (Sunwoo 1998).
Research back in 1988 established that chondroitin sulfate
A is an extremely potent anti-inflammatory agent. There are convincing opinions that there
is substantial difference in mineralization between species of deer at the same stage of
growth, but this has not been quantified. The compositional changes from the tip to the
base are reflected in both Chinese (Wang and Zhou 1991) and Korean (Yoon 1989) medical
systems which broadly classify the various parts of velvet antler. The tip is referred to
as the wax piece, the next section is the blood piece, and finally the bottom is known as
the base or bone piece (Fennessy 1992). Once the velvet antler is harvested, blood quickly
seeps away from the tip region, although inverting the antler will help alleviate this
problem. Depending on the drying methods, the dried product can have considerable blood in
this section. However the traditional Chinese drying methods result in the tip remaining
empty of blood; therefore its often categorized as the wax piece.
Dr. Peter Fennesy, general manager of the Invermay
Research Centre in Otago, New Zealand has stated that initial research data indicates that
elevated levels of a natural growth hormone called insuline–like growth factor
(IGF-1) exists in the blood of deer during the antler growth cycle as well as receptors to
IGF-1. As human beings age, growth hormone levels decline along with IGF-1, which results
in muscular atrophy. Velvet antler is most likely an unrefined source of IGF-1 that can
improve muscular development. Cell culture studies have discovered that the administration
of IGF–1 and 2 can have a significant effect on the cells in velvet antler. These
growth factors augment cell division in undifferentiated cells in the fibroblast zone, the
growing tip and the cartilage zone. These accessing indicate that IGF- 1 and 2 are likely
important facilitators for antler growth. The significance of these factors to the cell
regeneration processes in humans has recently been a source of much speculation.
Subsequent studies at Oxford University in England has
resulted in the discovery that IGF-1 increases the release of alkaine phosphatase and cell
growth in the distal antler tips of male red deer (Cervus elaphus). This growth
factor increases the rate of cell division in the inner layer of the perichondrium, the
reserve mesenchyme and the cartilage zone. The biochemistry that contributes to the rapid
growth of velvet antlers probably has undiscovered medical potential for humans with
regards to increasing cell growth and repair.
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