Background: Type 2 diabetes is a major metabolic disorder. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of probiotic soymilk fermented with Bifidobacterium lactis and containing omega-3 on hematologic, oxidative stress, anti-oxidant and inflammatory parameters in type 2 diabetic rats.

Methods: In this experimental manipulation study 65 rats were divided into five groups. Type 2 diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin and nicotinamide. Normal control (NC) and diabetic control (DC) rats received 1 mL/day of distilled water, and three groups of diabetic rats were administered 1 mL/day of soymilk (SM), fermented soymilk (FSM) and fermented soymilk fortified with omega-3 (FSM+omega-3) products by oral gavage for 28 days. Hematologic, oxidative stress, anti-oxidant and inflammatory parameters were measured at the end of experiment.

Results: At the end of experiment, in all treated diabetic rats compared with the DC group, red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations increased significantly (p<0.05), and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations reduced significantly (p<0.05). The reduction of MDA and increasing in Hb, RBC, hematocrit and SOD concentrations in the FSM+omega-3 group was more than two other groups. In the FSM+omega-3 group, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations compared with the DC and FSM groups were significantly lower (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The experiments suggest that combining soymilk, probiotics and omega-3 may be beneficial for the reducing oxidative-stress in type 2 diabetes.