S-Allyl cysteine (SAC) is found in garlic and has been reported to exert antidiabetic and antiobesity properties in drug-induced adult experimental models of metabolic dysfunction, but its potential beneficial effects in high-fructose diet neonatal rat models have not been determined. This study investigated the potential prophylactic effects of SAC in high-fructose diet fed suckling rat pups modelling human neonates fed a high-fructose diet. Four-day-old male (n=32) and female (n=32) Wistar rat pups, were randomly assigned to and administered the following treatment regimens daily for 15 days: group I, distilled water; group II, 20% fructose solution (FS); group III, SAC; group IV, SAC+FS. The pups' blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, plasma leptin and insulin concentration, liver lipid content, and liver histology were determined at termination. In female rat pups, orally administered SAC prevented FS-induced hypoinsulinemia but significantly increased (P≤0.05) liver lipid content. Oral administration of SAC significantly increased (P≤0.05) plasma insulin concentration and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance in the male pups. The potential sexually dimorphic effects of SAC (insulinotropic effects in male pups and protection of female pups against fructose-induced hypoinsulinemia) suggest that SAC could be potentially exploited as an antidiabetic and insulinotropic agent. Caution should, however, be exercised in the use of SAC during suckling as it could result in excessive liver lipid accumulation and insulin resistance.
Keywords: S-allyl cysteine; fructose; insulinotropic; neonatal.