Modulatory Roles of Clove and Fermented Ginger Supplements on Lipid Profile and Thyroid Functions in High Fat Diet Induced Insulin Resistance in Rabbits

Aims: To evaluate the effects of clove buds and fermented ginger rhizome supplements on Lipid profile and thyroid functions in high fat diet induced insulin resistance in rabbits.

Study Design: High fat diet was fed to rabbits for eleven weeks to ascertain diabetic animal model (DAM), thereafter, DAM were treated with supplements for six weeks.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Human Physiology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna Nigeria. Between May, 2015 to October, 2016.

Methodology: Thirty (30) male rabbits (5-8 weeks of age) divided into six groups of (n=5) were used, Group I (Normal control) was treated with standard animal feed (SAF) throughout the experimental period, Group II-VI were treated with high fat diet (SAF = 69% + Cholesterol = 1% + Ground nut meal = 20% + ground nut oil = 10%) for 11 weeks to induced hyperglycemia and ascertain DAM for the study. Thereafter, DAM groups (Group II-VI) were treated for six weeks of experimental protocol; Group II was treated with SAF only, Group III = DAM treated on SAF + cholestran (0.26 g/kg), Group IV = DAM treated on SAF + clove buds (12.5%) supplements, Group V = DAM treated on SAF + fermented ginger (12.5%) supplements, and Group VI = DAM treated on SAF + clove buds (12.5%) + fermented ginger (12.5%). After treatment, animals were sacrifice and serum from blood samples was used for laboratory assessments of lipid profile (total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c)), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxin (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) using standard procedures, data obtained were statistically analyzed.

Results: A significantly (P=0.05) decrease in TC level in DAM group treated on fermented ginger (12.5%) supplement when compared to DAM treated on SAF. T3 and T4 levels significantly decrease in all supplement treated groups compared to DAM treated on SAF group.

Conclusion: Clove (12.5%), fermented ginger (12.5%) and clove (12.5%) + fermented ginger (12.5%) supplements reveal a pronounced decreasing effects on higher lipid indices and thyroid hormones levels in high fat diet induced insulin resistant rabbits. Hence, further work to validate their ameliorative effects on similar conditions for reliability and medicinal use is needed.