Antidiabetic Effect of Substituting Processed Meat with Reduced-Fat and Diatomaceous Earth-Enriched Pâtés in...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Nutrition Science
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a significant global health challenge.
• Dietary interventions are crucial for managing and preventing T2DM.
• Developing feasible and effective nutritional strategies is essential for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a non-invasive nutritional strategy using functional pâtés to prevent or mitigate T2DM in Wistar rats.
• To assess the effects of silicon-enriched and/or reduced-fat pâtés compared to a commercial pâté (CP).
• To determine the efficacy of functional pâtés as a potential adjuvant therapy for T2DM.

Main Methods:

• Female Wistar rats were fed a high-saturated fat, high-cholesterol diet.
• Rats consumed either commercial pâté (CP), silicon-enriched commercial pâté (Si-CP), reduced-fat biopolymeric pâté (BP), or silicon-enriched reduced-fat biopolymeric pâté (Si-BP).
• Key metabolic parameters, fecal output, and islet morphology were analyzed.

Main Results:

• CP-fed rats showed elevated glucose, insulin, LDL cholesterol, and altered islet morphology.
• Si-CP consumption reduced fecal output, insulin, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and ghrelin.
• Si-BP consumption demonstrated the most significant benefits, reducing fecal output, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and estradiol, while preserving islet morphology and increasing tibia length and body weight.

Conclusions:

• Silicon (4 mg Si/kg body/day) incorporated into pâté exhibits antidiabetic effects in middle-aged female rats.
• Replacing commercial pâté with functional alternatives, particularly the Si-BP formulation, improved the health status of rats with diet-induced T2DM.
• Functional pâtés represent a promising nutritional adjuvant for managing T2DM.