The Effect of Endurance Training with Garlic and Stevia Supplementation on AgRP and α-MSH in Brain Tissue of Obese Wistar Rats

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of endurance training with garlic and stevia supplementation on AgRP and α-MSH in the brain tissue of obese Wistar rats.

36 obese male Wistar rats fed with a high-fat diet (24 g fat, 24 g protein, and 41 g carbohydrate/100 g) were divided into six groups, including: 1) sham; 2) stevia supplementation; 3) garlic supplementation; 4) endurance training; 5) stevia supplementation plus endurance training, and 6) garlic supplementation plus endurance training. Moreover, 6 rats were included in the healthy control group to investigate the effects of obesity on the research variable. Training groups performed incremental endurance training for 15-50 minutes at a speed of 15-25 m/min, for eight weeks. Garlic and stevia supplements were added to the diet of the supplementation groups at a dose of 250 mg/kg.

Levels of AgRP in stevia supplementation group were significantly higher than endurance training (P=0.019) and endurance training plus stevia supplementation (P=0.018) groups. Levels of α-MSH in the garlic supplementation (P=0.001), endurance training (P=0.002), stevia supplementation plus endurance training (P=0.001), and garlic supplementation plus endurance training (P=0.001) groups were significantly higher than the sham group. In addition, in the endurance training plus stevia supplementation group, the levels were significantly higher than the stevia supplementation group (P=0.002).

Endurance training plus garlic supplementation as well as endurance training plus stevia supplementation seem to play a synergistic role in appetite control protein; however, more studies on AgRP changes, following training and garlic and stevia supplementation are needed.