Comparison of Effects of Metformin, Simvastatin and their Combinations with Honey on Obesity Anthropometric Parameters in High-Fat Diet Fed Wistar Rats

Metformin and simvastatin are drugs used to reduce diabesity-related parameters such as weight gain and adiposity in obese type 2 diabetic and obese patients, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of metformin or simvastatin and their combination with honey on obesity anthropometric parameters in rats fed high-fat diet (HFD). After 8 weeks of feeding with HFD and sucrose solution (30% w/v), rats were randomly grouped and treated with distilled water, metformin, metformin and honey, simvastatin or simvastatin and honey for 6 weeks. The rats were maintained on HFD during the treatment period. The weight gain, % change in body mass index (BMI) and % change in adiposity index (AI) were significantly (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001) higher while BMI, body weight/body length (BW/BL) and AI were non-significantly (p > 0.05) higher in HFD fed control rats compared with chow fed rats. The weight gain, BMI, % change in BMI, BW/BL, AI and % change in AI in metformin-treated HFD fed rats were comparable to those of HFD fed control rats. Though statistically insignificant (p > 0.05), HFD fed rats treated with metformin and honey showed lower weight gain, BMI, % change in BMI, BW/BL, AI and % change in AI. Simvastatin-administered rats had significantly lower BMI (p = 0.015), % change in BMI (p = 0.008) and % change in AI (p = 0.026) compared with HFD fed control rats. In contrast, simvastatinand honey-treated rats exhibited much significantly lower BMI (p = 0.002), % change in BMI (p = 0.001) and % change in AI (p = 0.003) compared with HFD fed control rats. These findings suggest that simvastatin is better than metformin in attenuating increases in obesity anthropometrics in HFD fed rats. The data also indicate that honey in combination with metformin or simvastatin augmented the ameliorative effects of these drugs on obesity anthropometric parameters in HFD fed rats.