Investigation of the Protective Effects of Synbiotic Buffalo Kefir in Rats With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of synbiotic buffalo kefirs on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced in vivo type 1 diabetes mellitus markers. Kefir was produced by adding Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) to buffalo milk using DVS kefir culture. For the in vivo study, 70 male rats were fed buffalo kefir samples for 28 days. Physicochemical (pH, titration acidity, dry matter, fat, protein) and microbiological analyses were performed on kefir samples. Blood samples from the experimental animals were analyzed for malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutases (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and diabetes parameters. The results showed that the probiotic bacterial count was highest in the sample containing FOS+Lb. acidophilus. In diabetic rats, triglyceride levels decreased significantly in the group consuming the FOS+B. bifidum sample. High-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels remained unchanged. In groups consuming synbiotic buffalo kefir, a decrease in lipid peroxidation resulting from oxidative stress and significant increases in the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes SOD and GPX were detected. Synbiotic buffalo kefir samples reduced the MDA values in all diabetic groups. The findings suggest that consuming synbiotic buffalo kefir may help mitigate the effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus.