Carob fruit extract (CFE) has shown remarkable in vitro
antioxidant properties and reduces
postprandial hyperglycemia and
hyperlipidemia in healthy animals. Development of functional meat products that contain bioactive components are presented as a great nutritional strategy. Until now, the effect of the consumption of restructured meat enriched with CFE in a murine model of diabetes has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect on glycemia,
lipemia,
lipoprotein profile, Ldlr,
arylesterase (AE), and
very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and liver oxidation in
streptozotocin-
nicotinamide (STZ-
NAD) growing Wistar diabetic rats fed restructured meat in the frame of a high
cholesterol/high saturated-fat diet. In the present study, three groups (D, ED and DE) were fed
cholesterol-enriched (1.4%
cholesterol and 0.2%
cholic acid) and high saturated-fat diets (50% of total energy from
fats and 20.4% from
saturated fatty acids). Rats were subjected to a STZ-
NAD administration at the 3rd week. Group D did not receive CFE, while ED and DE rat groups received CFE before and after the diabetic induction, respectively. After eight weeks, D rats showed
hyperglycemia and
hypercholesterolemia, an increased amount
cholesterol-enriched VLDL (β-VLDL), IDL and
LDL particles and
triglyceride-enriched HDL. ED and DE partially blocked the hypercholesterolemic induction with respect to D group (p < 0.001) and improved glycemia,
cholesterol levels,
lipoprotein profile, Ldlr, plasma AE activity and liver oxidation (p < 0.001). Fecal fat, moisture and excretion were higher while dietary digestibility was lower in ED and DE vs. D counterparts (p < 0.001). In conclusion, CFE-enriched meat shows, for the first time,
hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in STZ-
NAD animals fed high
cholesterol/high saturated-fat diets. Likewise, it manages to reverse possible diabetes
lipoprotein alterations if CFE-enriched meat is consumed before pathology development or improves said modifications if
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is already established.