Effect of supplementing chromium histidinate and picolinate complexes along with biotin on insulin sensitivity and related metabolic indices in rats fed a high-fat diet.

Scope: To investigate the effects of chromium histidinate (CrHis) and chromium picolinate (CrPic) complex along with biotin to a high-fat diet (HFD) fed to rats on the insulin sensitivity and the anti-obesity properties.

Methods: Forty-two Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into six groups. The rats were fed either (a): a standard diet (Control) or (b): a HFD or (c): a HFD with biotin (HFD+B) or (d): a combination of HFD and biotin along with CrPic (HFD + B + CrPic) or (e): a combination of HFD and biotin along with CrHis (HFD + B + CrHis) or (f): a combination of HFD and biotin along with CrHis and CrPic (HFD + B + CrHis + CrPic).

Results: Adding biotin with chromium to HFD improved the glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, leptin, lipid profile, with HFD+B+CrHis treatment being the most effective ( p  = 0.0001). Serum, liver, and brain tissue Cr concentrations increased upon Cr supplementations ( p  = 0.0001). Supplementing CrHis along with biotin to a HFD (HFD + B + CrHis) provided the greatest levels of GLUT-1, GLUT-3, PPAR-γ, and IRS-1, but the lowest level of NF-κB in the brain and liver tissues.

Conclusion: Biotin supplementation with chromium complexes, CrHis in particular, to a HFD pose to be a potential therapeutic feature for the treatment of insulin resistance.