Saengshik, a Formulated Health Food, Decreases Blood Glucose and Increases Survival Rate in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Saengshik is a Korean "non-cooked food" that is commercially produced and marketed. Ingredients in commercial Saengshik include grains, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, sea plants, and various functional botanicals. This study investigated the effects of Saengshik on the survival rate of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing around 190 g were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental groups: a healthy normal group (NC) and two groups with STZ-induced diabetes and fed either control diet (DC) or Saengshik diet (DS). Rats in all groups were supplied with a diet of equal energy. The animals were maintained on an experimental diet for 168 days in experiment I and for 42 days in experiment II. The body weight in the DS rats decreased less than in the DC rats in both experiments I and II. There was a trend for blood glucose level in the DS group to decrease during the experimental period in both experiments I and II. A survival rate of 50% was reached on day 49 in the DC group and on day 118 in the DS group. All rats in the DC group died by day 140, while 50% of the rats in the DS group were still alive on day 168, when experiment I was terminated. In experiment II, 50% of the DC group and 90% of the DS group survived at day 42. Saengshik did not have any influence on cholesterol levels, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, and activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. These results suggest that blood glucose concentrations and the survival rate are positively affected by Saengshik feeding in diabetic rats.