Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary supplementation with WP could enhance the liver functions of diabetic rats. A total of 45 male rats were assigned into a control group (C), a diabetic group (DM) and a diabetic group orally supplemented with WP (DMWP) at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. WP was found to decrease the expression levels of Flavin monooxygenase 2 gene in the WP supplemented group of rats in comparison to the non-supplemented ones. A significant restoration of the expression level of interferon-? was observed in DMWP rats in comparison to the control ones. Additionally, WP supplementation was found to significantly restore the levels of both Akt1 and Fas in the WP supplemented group in comparison to both the control group and the non-supplemented diabetic group. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with WP enhances the liver functions in the diabetic rats. Keywords: Diabetes, Liver functions, Oxidative stress, Total antioxidant capacity, Whey protein Abbreviations used: Branched chain amino acid, BCAA; Carboxymethyl cellulose, CMC; Central nervous system, CNS; Diabetes mellitus, DM; Flavin monooxygenase 2, FMO2; Interferon, IFN; Natural killer cells, NK cells; peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMCs; Streptozotocin, STZ; Type 1 Diabetes, T1D; Whey protein, WP