Lipid Lowering Effects of Nigella sativa and Swimming Training in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes disorders in blood lipids. The purpose of this study was to investigate the lipid lowering effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Nigella sativa and swim training in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. A total of 32 diabetic rats were selected and randomly divided into four equal-size groups: (1) Swim training, (2) Nigella sativa, (3) swim training with Nigella sativa, and (4) control. Groups 2 and 3 received 100 mg/kg/day of Nigella sativa extract in the peritoneum. Groups 1 and 3 also swam in a swimming tank (five days per week for four weeks). After this period, blood samples were taken. For analysis of the findings, Paired Sample t-test and two-way ANOVA were used (P ≤ 0.05). Swim training and Nigella sativa consumption had a significant effect in reducing cholesterol (Cho), triglycerides (TG), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P ≤ 0.05); high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased significantly following swim training (P ≤ 0.05); Nigella sativa and swim training had significant interactive effects in reducing Cho, TG, VLDL, and LDL, and in increasing HDL (P ≤ 0.05). It seems that four weeks of Nigella sativa consumption combined with swimming training has a more favourable fat-reducing effect than Nigella sativa consumption or swim training alone