A diet of red ginseng‐chungkukjang fermented with Bacillus licheniformis improves streptozotocin‐induced physiological symptoms and oxidative stress

Abstract

The protective effects of red ginseng-chungkukjang fermented with Bacillus licheniformis were observed in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats by measuring levels of blood glucose, serum lipid profiles, and hepatic enzyme activities. Eight groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 195±5 g (10 animals/group) were fed for 3 weeks with the following: nondiabetic control (N); STZ-treated diabetic (D); 0.16% chungkukjang-treated (C); 0.4% red ginseng-treated (R); 2 % the combined red ginseng and chungkukjang-treated (RC); diabetic C (D-C); diabetic R (D-R); diabetic RC (D-RC). Concentrations of the dietary supplements in the diet were based on a kg diet. Body weight, feed efficiency ratio, and levels of blood glucose and serum lipids in the D group were significantly improved by the treatment of RC. Dietary treatments in diabetes led to the increases of HDL-cholesterol levels in the D-C, D-R, and D-RC groups relative to the D group. The RC diet greatly improved levels of hepatic triglycerides and lipid peroxides in the D group similar to those of the N group. The significantly elevated activity of xanthine oxidase in diabetes was also greatly decreased by the RC diet. The treatment of RC showed the improved hepatic glutathione S-transferase activities in the diabetic animals. The present study indicates that the combined diet of red ginseng and chungkukjang, neither red ginseng nor chungkukjang alone, could ameliorate STZ-induced diabetic symptoms such as aggravated blood glucose levels, serum lipid profiles, and even the conditions of oxidative stress.