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Evaluation of the Effect of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Fruit Extracts on Calcium and Magnesium Status in STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats
Interakcyjny wpływ suplementacji Cr(III) przy zróżnicowanym poziomie Zn w diecie na organizm i wybrane parametry behawioralne u szczurów
Steviol Glycoside, L-Arginine, and Chromium(III) Supplementation Attenuates Abnormalities in Glucose Metabolism in Streptozotocin-Induced Mildly Diabetic Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and its glycosides are believed to exhibit several health-promoting properties. Recently, the mechanisms of the anti-diabetic effects of steviol glycosides (SG) have been the subject of intense research. The following study aims to evaluate the results of SG (stevioside (ST) and rebaudioside A (RA)) combined with L-arginine (L-Arg) and chromium(III) (CrIII) supplementation in streptozotocin- (STZ) induced mild type 2 diabetic rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD), with particular emphasis on carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms. The experiment was carried out on 110 male Wistar rats, 100 of which were fed an HFD to induce insulin resistance, followed by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin to induce mild type 2 diabetes. After confirmation of hyperglycemia, the rats were divided into groups. Three groups served as controls: diabetic untreated, diabetic treated with metformin (300 mg/kg BW), and healthy group. Eight groups were fed an HFD enriched with stevioside or rebaudioside A (2500 mg/kg BW) combined with L-arginine (2000 or 4000 mg/kg BW) and Cr(III) (1 or 5 mg/kg BW) for six weeks. The results showed that supplementation with SG (ST and RA) combined with L-arg and Cr(III) could improve blood glucose levels in rats with mild type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, ST was more effective in improving blood glucose levels, insulin resistance indices, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentrations than RA. Although L-arg and Cr(III) supplementation did not independently affect most blood carbohydrate and lipid indices, it further improved some biomarkers when combined, particularly with ST. Notably, the beneficial impact of ST on the homeostatic model assessment–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and on the quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI) was strengthened when mixed with a high dose of L-arg, while its impact on antioxidant status was improved when combined with a high dose of Cr(III) in rats with mild type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, these results suggest that supplementary stevioside combined with L-arginine and Cr(III) has therapeutic potential for mild type 2 diabetes. However, further studies are warranted to confirm these effects in other experimental models and humans.
Digestibility of Protein and Iron Availability from Enriched Legume Sprouts
AbstractPlant ferritin is suggested as a good source of iron for human. Usually present in trace amounts, it was induced in legumes seeds by their sprouting in FeSO4 solution. Fortified sprouts were digested in the in vitro model of the human gastrointestinal tract. ~49% of lupine and ~ 45% of soy proteins were extracted into gastric fluid and next ~ 12% and only ~ 1% into intestine fluid from lupine and soybean, respectively. Gastric digestion released mainly ferrous iron (~ 85% from lupine and ~ 95% in soybean sprouts). Complexed iron constituted ~ 43% of total iron in intestine after lupine digestion and ~ 55% after soybean digestion. Intestine digestion doubled the total iron released from lupine sprouts (from ~ 21% up to 38%), while in soybean it increased from ~ 16% up to ~ 23%. Ferritin presence was confirmed by the specific antibodies in digestive fluids, but it is only partially extracted from sprouts during in vitro digestion.