The Comparison of the Protective Effect of L-Carnitine, Chromium and Vitamin D with Metformin on Liver, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity, and Iron Metabolism in Diabetic Rats

Objective: Due to the lack of information about the positive or negative effects of L-carnitine, chromium, vitamin D, and the uptake of a safe dietary supplement to reduce the effects of diabetes, it seems essential to determine the effects of these drugs on diabetes. Materials and Methods: Wistar rats were divided into 12 groups, control, diabetic, and intact, each of which was treated with metformin, L-carnitine, vitamin D, and chromium or a combination of L-carnitine, vitamin D, and chromium. The serum levels of liver function parameters, iron, TIBC, Catalase and GPX activities were measured. Data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA using SPSS 18 software. Statistical significance among the groups was determined using LSD test, and P-value< 0.05 was considered significant in all cases. Results: AST activity in diabetic groups and those receiving chromium and L-carnitine has significantly reduced (P-value= 0.009). A significant reduction in ALT and ALP activity in the diabetic groups receiving vitamin D and combined and non-diabetic groups receiving metformin were observed, in contrast to a significant increase in ALT activity in diabetic recipients of L-carnitine (P-value= 0.009). Conclusion: L-carnitine, chromium, and vitamin D supplements have synergistic effects and a combination of them has the best protective effect on factors that have been studied.