Effect of Fish Oil Supplementation on Cholesterol and Blood Glucose Levels of Diabetic Rats

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of fish oil supplementation on blood glucose and lipids levels in non-diabetic or streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 32) were randomly assigned into 4 groups of non-diabetic (Tl, control), treated non-diabetic (T2), diabetic (T3) and treated diabetic (T4). Standard rat nonpurified diet was fed either alone or supplemented with an additional 2.5% fish oil (treated rats). Serum glucose and low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C and HDL-C, respectively) levels were determined at the start of the experiment and 6 wk thereafter. The administration of FO significantly reduced LDL-C levels and increased HDL-C levels, in the serum of diabetic rats. At the end of trial, diabetic rats had increased blood glucose values compared with control and non-diabetic rats. Fish oil treatment not only, reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic rats, but also, increased the level in non-diabetic rats as compared with control animals. The administration of fish oil to diabetic and non-diabetic rats significantly decreased HDL-C and not significantly increased HDL-C as compared with control animals. Hence, these results suggested that supplementation of FO effectively moderate glucose level and reduce bad-cholesterol level of blood in diabetic rats that may prevent type 1 diabete mellitus.