Abstract
The effect of biotin-supplemented diet, on the blood glucose level and the serum biotinidase activity, was investigated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Rats were fed diets, with or without 0.02% biotin for 7 days. Biotinidase activity was measured by several biotin-amides and leucine-enkephalin, as substrates. Blood glucose level was improved by the biotin-supplemented diet, compared with the diabetic rats. The serum biotinidase activity as measured by biotin-amides substrates in the diabetic rats was not changed at all, and was independent of the biotin supplement. Leucine-enkephalin hydrolysis activities were higher than the controls, but these increments were not affected by the biotin-supplemented diet. There was a significant inverse correlation between blood glucose level and biocytin hydrolysis activities in the diabetic rat (r=-0.673, p<0.05), but no correlation in the biotin supplemental group. These results indicate that serum biotinidase in diabetic rats may have been modified by glucose, and this possible modification by glucose may be suppressed by supplementing dietary biotin.
