Pharmacological Effects of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 7469 Fermented Soybean and Green Microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris, on Diabetic Rats

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex, multifactorial metabolic disorder mainly characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. It has become a significant, serious disease worldwide, presenting a huge risk to human life and health. This study aimed to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 7469 fermented soy flour extract and Chlorella vulgaris extract on Sprague-Dawley rats with T2DM induced by low-dose streptozotocin administration (STZ) compared to pioglitazone as a reference drug. Treatment with Lactobacillus casei ATCC 7469 fermented soy flour and Chlorella vulgaris resulted in a significant improvement in body weight, glucose tolerance, blood glucose level, and insulin resistance (p < 0.05). It also resulted in a significant decrease in total cholesterol (T.C), triglycerides (T.G), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) (p < 0.05) and a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (p < 0.05). It also resulted in the improvement of liver oxidative biomarkers. Moreover, it prevented pancreatic histopathological changes. Lactobacillus casei ATCC 7469 fermented soy flour extract and Chlorella vulgaris extract had hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant activity similar to pioglitazone.