Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and its
glycosides are believed to exhibit several health-promoting properties. Recently, the mechanisms of the anti-diabetic effects of
steviol glycosides (SG) have been the subject of intense research. The following study aims to evaluate the results of SG (
stevioside (ST) and
rebaudioside A (RA)) combined with
L-arginine (L-Arg) and
chromium(III) (CrIII) supplementation in
streptozotocin- (STZ) induced mild type 2 diabetic rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD), with particular emphasis on
carbohydrate and
lipid metabolisms. The experiment was carried out on 110 male Wistar rats, 100 of which were fed an HFD to induce
insulin resistance, followed by an
intraperitoneal injection of
streptozotocin to induce mild
type 2 diabetes. After confirmation of
hyperglycemia, the rats were divided into groups. Three groups served as controls: diabetic untreated, diabetic treated with
metformin (300 mg/kg BW), and healthy group. Eight groups were fed an HFD enriched with
stevioside or
rebaudioside A (2500 mg/kg BW) combined with
L-arginine (2000 or 4000 mg/kg BW) and Cr(III) (1 or 5 mg/kg BW) for six weeks. The results showed that supplementation with SG (ST and RA) combined with L-arg and Cr(III) could improve
blood glucose levels in rats with mild
type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, ST was more effective in improving
blood glucose levels,
insulin resistance indices, and
very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentrations than RA. Although L-arg and Cr(III) supplementation did not independently affect most blood
carbohydrate and
lipid indices, it further improved some
biomarkers when combined, particularly with ST. Notably, the beneficial impact of ST on the homeostatic model assessment-
insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and on the quantitative
insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI) was strengthened when mixed with a high dose of L-arg, while its impact on
antioxidant status was improved when combined with a high dose of Cr(III) in rats with mild
type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, these results suggest that supplementary
stevioside combined with
L-arginine and Cr(III) has therapeutic potential for mild
type 2 diabetes. However, further studies are warranted to confirm these effects in other experimental models and humans.