Influence of silymarin and chromium picolinate on the pharmacotherapy of rats with induced diabetes

Abstract

Food supplements are easily acquired and used in various countries. Silymarin has been indicated for diseases of the liver and Chromium picolinate has been indicated for body weight loss and for the improvement of glycemic index. The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of short-term treatment with a combination of silymarin (50 mg/kg) and chromium picolinate (5 µg/kg) on the standard glibenclamide treatment (10 mg/kg) of rats with induced diabetes. DM2 was induced with streptozotocin. Experimental groups of rats: healthy control group, glibenclamide diabetic group, silymarin diabetic group, and silymarin, chromium picolinate and glibenclamide group. After 10 days of oral treatment, we determined body weight, fasting glycemia, glycemia 1 h after gastric gavage with sucrose, and AST and ALT transaminases. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that there was no change in body weight or fasting glycemia, but that glycemia increased after gavage with sucrose in the group submitted to combined therapy. Thus, we concluded that the combination of silymarin and chromium picolinate reduced the efficacy of glibenclamide in the short term, although the two substances had a protective effect on the liver as observed by the reduction of blood transaminase levels.