Investigating the effect of eight weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and taking curcumin supplement alone and in combination, on leptin levels and hepatic enzymes in older rats

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a common health problem in the world, and various studies have shown that the risk of developing the disease increases with age. In this study, we looked at the effects of 8 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and curcumin use alone and in combination with each other on leptin and hepatic enzymes levels.

32 male Wistar rats (24-month-old), and 8 male rats with the same breed (4-month-old) were examined in 5 groups (8 rats per group). Two groups were young and old control groups, and three groups included exercise group, curcumin group, and curcumin + exercise group. SPSS18 software and one-way ANOVA method and Tukey's post hoc test were utilized and 0.05> α was considered statistically significant.

8 weeks of aerobic exercise did not have a significant reduction in the level of leptin and hepatic enzymes, and 8 weeks of curcumin significantly reduced leptin levels and did not significantly reduce hepatic enzymes. Combined aerobic exercise and curcumin significantly reduced leptin and hepatic enzymes.

Concomitant use of curcumin with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can have positive effects on reducing leptin levels and hepatic enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.