The effect of kefir-spirulina on glycemic status and antioxidant activity in hyperglycemia rats

Anotace: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. It is caused by impaired insulin secretion or by insulin receptor insensitivity. DM and its complications are often related to increases in the level of oxidative stress. Spirulina is a nutrient-dense food that contains an abundance of antioxidant compounds. In combination with kefir, it may serve as both a nutrient-rich diet and an antioxidant agent that can prevent complications of diabetes. This study aims to investigate the nutritional content of kefir-spirulina and its effect on glycemic status and antioxidant activity in streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) induced diabetic rats. A total of 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups: normal control (K1), diabetic control (K2), pioglitazone treatment (K3), kefir combined with 1% spirulina treatment (P1), and kefir combined with 2% spirulina treatment (P2). All rats were induced by STZ-NA, except for the normal control. Before and after the 28 days of intervention, blood samples were taken and analyzed for fasting plasma glucose, postprandial glucose, and SOD activity. The nutritional content, ethanol content, and total antioxidant capacity of kefir-spirulina were also analyzed. The diabetic rats that were fed with kefir-spirulina (P1 and P2) had a significant decrease in both fasting and postprandial plasma glucose (p <0.001) compared to the diabetic control rats. The decrease of plasma glucose in K2 is comparable to the control rats treated with the diabetic drug pioglitazone (K3). The activity of SOD in diabetic rats fed in P1 and P2 were higher (p <0.001) than in untreated diabetic rats (K2). The IC50 of kefir-spirulina was 42 – 43 ppm. It was concluded that kefir combined with spirulina has high nutrition and antioxidant capacity, which is proven to be capable of controlling glycemic status and enhancing antioxidant status in a diabetic rat model.