Physical and Nutraceutical Interventions in Wistar Rat Models of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Scoping Review
Abstract
This scoping review examines preclinical evidence on physical, probiotic, and nutraceutical interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus using Wistar rat models. The distinctive contribution of this review lies in its explicit distinction between direct experimental evidence and a proposed future framework for a combined treadmill–Smallanthus sonchifolius–Lactobacillus acidophilus intervention. By systematically identifying the absence of direct evidence for this combined protocol, the review provides a focused rationale for future experimental studies rather than relying solely on extrapolation from separate intervention models. The study aimed to map intervention characteristics, animal models, outcomes, and evidence gaps related to glycemic control, insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, inflammation, gut microbiota, and molecular pathways. A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O’Malley framework and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Springer Nature databases/platforms were searched for studies published between 2015 and 2025 using terms related to Wistar rats, type 2 diabetes mellitus, treadmill exercise, yacon/Smallanthus sonchifolius, probiotics, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. Records were screened using Rayyan, data were extracted using Microsoft Excel, and reporting quality and risk of bias were appraised using the ARRIVE reporting criteria and SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool. The search identified 1,389 records; after duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, and full-text assessment, 23 studies were included in the review. The strongest direct evidence was found for treadmill exercise, with 21 studies reporting improvements in fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance, insulin resistance indices, lipid or adiposity parameters, and metabolic-inflammatory pathways. Direct evidence for Lactobacillus acidophilus was limited to two studies, which reported improvements in glycemia, insulin sensitivity, inflammatory markers, body weight, and fecal lactobacilli counts. No eligible study directly examined Smallanthus sonchifolius or the full three-component combination. Therefore, treadmill exercise is directly supported by preclinical evidence, Lactobacillus acidophilus has limited supportive evidence, and yacon-based as well as combined physical–nutraceutical–probiotic protocols remain hypothesis-generating strategies requiring direct experimental validation.
Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Wistar rats; treadmill exercise; probiotics; Lactobacillus acidophilus; Smallanthus sonchifolius; yacon; nutraceuticals; scoping review; inflammation.
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