Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in normal rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess how the unlimited drinking of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice, rich in phenolic substances (1.177 g L-¹ gallic acid equivalents), may affect the levels of several biochemical markers in the rat plasma: glucose (Glu), total cholesterol (ChT) and its fractions (HDL and LDL), triglycerides (TG) and transaminases (ALT and AST). Young male rats were being supplied with 3 combinations of juice solutions in drinking water for 34 days, and their blood samples were collected for analysis after animal sacrifices on day 35. The experimental groups contained 20% juice solutions in tap water of: (ARO) 100% master aronia juice, (MIX) 25% master aronia juice + 75% juice reconstruct (without flavonoids), and (PLC) 100% juice reconstruct, and they were compared with a (CTL) control group on pure tap water. Biochemical analyses of plasma on Cobas c-111 analyzer showed a significant 20% decrease of Glu in ARO group in comparison to CTL. ChT was significantly higher in MIX and PLC in relation to both CTL and ARO groups, which arose mainly from LDL elevations. Also, there was a certain (30%), but insignificant increase of TG in MIX and PLC vs. CTL. The effects of aronia on transaminases were registered only for ALT, whose level in ARO was about 3-fold of that in CTL group. In conclusion, everyday free drinking of flavonoid-rich aronia juice solutions appeared to have global hypoglycemic effect in normal rats and, also, certain hypolipidemic effects, when hyperlipidemia was induced probably with higher sugar consumption.