Table 1. Effects of silymarin on body weight, biochemical indicators and HOMA-IR) in Wistar rats receiving fed fructose-rich chow or normal chow.

	HOMA-IRindex	Cholesterol(mg/dL)	TG(mg/dL)	LDL(mg/dL)	HDL(mg/dL)	LDL/HDL	Body weight
Normal chow-fed rats (n = 8)
+Vehicle	6.47±0.27	97.13±7.22	93.13±15.17	63.37±6.44	16.88±2.11	4.12±0.79	288.20±6.27
+Silymarin (200 mg/kg)	13.00±0.51	100.38±10.52	116.38±32.62	61.10±11.62	16.00±2.01	4.27±1.05	288.42±8.45
Fructose-rich chow-fed rats (n = 8)
+Vehicle	18.68±0.49***	111.45±8.78	176.25±22.79**	63.83±5.95	12.38±2.46	6.35±1.06	304.62±10.96
+Silymarin (200 mg/kg)	21.82±0.62*** ##	116.43±11.35	175.38±23.66**	62.55±9.83	12.50±2.76	6.36±1.49	305.91±12.12

Silymarin (200 mg/kg body weight) was orally administerated once daily to Wistar rats fed fructose-rich or normal chow for 2 weeks. The HOMA-IR index was calculated as fasting glucose (mmol/L)×fasting insulin (mU/L)/22.5. Data represent mean ± standard error of mean of 8 animals.

P<0.001 compared with normal chow-fed rats receiving vehicle;

^### P<0.001 compared with fructose-rich chow-fed rats receiving vehicle.