Protective effects of whey protein concentrate admixtured of curcumin on metabolic control, inflammation and oxidative stress in Wistar rats submitted to exhaustive exercise

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of whey protein concentrate (WPC) admixtured of curcumin on metabolic control, inflammation and oxidative stress in Wistar rats submitted to exhaustive exercise. A total of forty-eight male rats were divided into six experimental groups (n 8): standard diet group (AIN-93M), standard diet submitted to exhaustion test group (AIN-93M ET), WPC admixtured of curcumin group (WPC + CCM), WPC + CCM submitted to exhaustion test group (WPC + CCM ET), CCM group and CCM subjected to exhaustion test group (CCM ET). The swimming exhaustion test was performed after 4 weeks of experiment. The consumption of WPC + CCM as well as isolated CCM did not alter the biometric measurements, the animals' food consumption and the hepatic and kidney function, as well as the protein balance of the animals (P > 0 center dot 05), but reduced the glycaemia and the gene expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 and increased the expression of IL-10 (P < 0 center dot 05). The animals that were submitted to the exhaustion test (AIN-93M ET) showed higher aspartate aminotransferase values when compared to the animals that did not perform the exercise (AIN-93 M) (P < 0 center dot 05). WPC + CCM reduced the concentration of nitric oxide, carbonylated protein and increased the concentration of catalase (P < 0 center dot 05). Both (WPC + CCM and CCM) were able to increase the concentrations of superoxide dismutase (P < 0 center dot 05). We concluded that the WPC admixtured of CCM represents a strategy capable of decreasing blood glucose and oxidative and inflammatory damage caused by exhaustive physical exercise in swimming.

Automated summary

The study showed that the combination of whey protein concentrate and curcumin can reduce blood glucose levels, oxidative damage, and inflammatory responses, which helps mitigate the effects of exhaustive physical exercise in swimming.