The Effect of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise with Silymarin Supplementation on Liver Enzymes in Male Rats of Fatty Liver Model

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease includes a spectrum of clinical syndromes from early steatosis to liver cirrhosis. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of exercise training with silymarin supplementation on liver enzymes and weight of male fatty liver rats.

In this study, 40 adult male Wistar rats weighing 159 ± 3 g were randomly divided into 5 equal groups of normal diet/saline, high-fat diet/saline, high-fat diet/silymarin supplement, high-fat diet/training/ saline, and high-fat diet/training/supplement. Modeling of fatty liver with high-fat diet containing 45% energy from carbohydrates, 41% fat, and 14% protein was performed at a daily dose of 10 g per 100 g of body weight; the control group had a normal diet. The training groups practiced intermittently for 8 weeks (5 sessions per week, each session lasting 30 minutes) at intensity close to VO2max. Silymarin and saline supplementation was gavaged as 140 mg daily per kg body weight for 2 weeks. Liver tissue sampling was performed 72 hours after exercise to evaluate liver enzymes. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test (P <0.05).

Liver alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes significantly reduced in the periodic training and periodic exercise/silymarin supplement groups compared to the control group; but no significant difference was observed in silymarin supplement groups compared to the control group.

Use of silymarin supplement with exercise, especially intermittent and high-intensity exercise, can modulate inflammatory and oxidative responses, and can be a suitable method to treat patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.