Cereal bar sweetened with stevia leaves reduces fatty liver in diabetic rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus and hepatic steatosis are diseases of great epidemiological impact and have been associated with increased consumption of sugary foods and drinks. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of food supplementation with cereal bars sweetened with Stevia rebaudiana leaves pretreated with ethanol (SLPE) on the metabolic control of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Two cereal bar formulations were developed: one sweetened with SLPE, and the other sweetened with sucrose. The cereal bars were added to the standard ration for rodents (125g:1000g) and offered ad libitum to diabetic animals for 30 days. Important physiological parameters were recorded during and at the end of this period for metabolic control (body weight, food intake, glycemia, fructosamine, triglycerides, cholesterol, AST, ALT, liver fat and glucose tolerance). The diet supplemented with cereal bars sweetened with SLPE significantly reduced the amount of liver fat in diabetic rats, suggesting the potential of cereal bars sweetened with SLPE to act as a functional food for diabetic patients.