Research in Medicine

Background: Oxidative stress is the condition associated with increased production of free radicals that overcomes antioxidant defenses due to declining antioxidant levels or producing free radicals involved in developing diabetes and its complications. In this study, the effects of endurance exercise training accompanying Chamomile Recutita Leaves Extract on Liver Superoxide Dismutase Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in the liver of the rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were analyzed.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, fifty male Wistar rats )weight:195-200 g( were randomly divided into 5 groups: the sedentary control (SC), sedentary diabetic (SD), trained diabetic (TD), diabetic plus chamomile extract treatment (DCh) and trained diabetic plus chamomile extract treatment (TDCh) groups. Animals in the trained groups were conducted submaximal exercise on a treadmill 4 days a week for 8 weeks. The rats in the DR and TDR groups were given 200 mg/kgbw rosemary extract by gastric cannula at 8 AM daily for 8 weeks. Also, the group treated with chamomile extract received 200 mg / kg_bw  chamomile extract solution by gavage daily for 8 weeks. Then the data was analyzed with the computer software SPSS version 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA).

Results: In the end of the study, liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the SD and SC groups respectively were 2.63±0.1 and 4.85±0.9 (p<0.001), whereas liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in SD and SC groups respectively were 8.45±0.2 and 5.13± 0.3 (p<0.001). Through performing endurance training along with chamomil leaves extract, SOD activity and MDA level in group TDCh changed to the normal levels of the healthy control group (respectively 3.84±0.2 and 6.04±0.2).

Conclusion: The increased lipid peroxidation in the liver and decreased levels of the selective antioxidant enzyme induced by combined intervention of chamomile extract and submaximal endurance exercise may attenuate oxidative stress.