protective effects of withania somnifera root on inflammatory markers and insulin resistance in fructose-fed rats

background: we investigated the effects of withania somnifera root (ws) on insulin resistance, tumor necrosis factor α (tnf-α), and interleukin-6 (il-6) in fructose-fed rats. methods: forty-eight wistar-albino male rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=12); group i as control, group ii as sham-treated with ws by 62.5mg/g per diet, group iii fructose-fed rats received 10%w/v fructose, and group iv fructose- and ws-fed rats. after eight weeks blood samples were collected to measure glucose, insulin, il-6, and tnf-α levels in sera. results: blood glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (homa-r), il-6, and tnf-α levels were all significantly greater in the fructose-fed rats than in the controls. treatment with ws significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the fructose-induced increases in glucose, insulin, homa-r, il-6, and tnf-α. conclusion: our data suggest that ws normalizes hyperglycemia in fructose-fed rats by reducing inflammatory markers and improving insulin sensitivity.