Table 4.
Effects of dietary supplementation of elderberry polar and lipophilic extracts on the rats’ overall growth indices. Diabetic rats without dietary supplementation and non-diabetic rats were also followed-up.
| Index | Non-Diabetic Rats (n = 5) | Diabetic Rats with High-Fat Diets | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not Supplemented (n = 8) | Polar Extract (n = 7) | Lipophilic Extract (n = 6) | ||
| Diet intake (g/24 h) | 20.1 ± 1.1 a | 20.9 ± 2.1 a | 22.7 ± 2.9 a | 20.8 ± 2.2 a |
| Daily extract intake (mg/kg b.w.) | - | - | 350 ± 3 | 190 ± 3 |
| Average body weight at the beginning/end of experiment (g) | 424.56/443.88 | 383.31/383.38 | 370.73/368.41 | 410.77/415.67 |
| Body weight variation (g/24 h) | 0.69 ± 0.08 a | 0.00 ± 0.34 b | −0.08 ± 0.38 b | 0.18 ± 0.65 a,b |
| Body mass/body length ratio (g/cm) | 16.7 ± 1.3 a | 14.7 ± 1.3 a | 14.3 ± 1.1 a | 16.1 ± 1.5 a |
| Liver (% b.m.) | 3.04 ± 0.24 a | 3.38 ± 0.32 a | 3.39 ± 0.22 a | 3.26 ± 0.21 a |
| Kidneys (% b.m.) | 0.60 ± 0.04 a | 0.85 ± 0.11 b | 0.88 ± 0.11 b | 0.78 ± 0.12 b |
| Heart (% b.m.) | 0.28 ± 0.02 a | 0.29 ± 0.03 a | 0.29 ± 0.02 a | 0.30 ± 0.07 a |
| Testes (% b.m.) | 0.93 ± 0.04 a | 0.97 ± 0.07 a | 0.98 ± 0.15 a | 0.61 ± 0.35 a |
| Pancreas (% b.m.) | 0.24 ± 0.04 a | 0.26 ± 0.02 a | 0.26 ± 0.04 a | 0.22 ± 0.04 a |
| Spleen (% b.m.) | 0.15 ± 0.02 a | 0.15 ± 0.02 a | 0.13 ± 0.01 a | 0.14 ± 0.02 a |
| Left femur (% b.m.) | 0.21 ± 0.02 a | 0.24 ± 0.02 a | 0.25 ± 0.02 a | 0.23 ± 0.02 a |
| Right femur (% b.m.) | 0.22 ± 0.01 a | 0.25 ± 0.02 a | 0.25 ± 0.02 a | 0.23 ± 0.03 a |
Values expressed as mean ± SD; b.w.—body weight; b.m.—body mass; Mean values with unlike letters in rows show statistically significant differences (p < 0.05, LSD’s Fisher test).