2.4. Biochemical Assay
After a 12 h fasting period, 30 mL of peripheral blood was collected to analyze blood glucose and lipid profile (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides). The enzymatic and colorimetric methods were used to analyze total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL), respectively. Fasting blood glucose was measured using the enzymatic system to determine blood glucose (liquefied glucose), following the recommendations in the manufacturer’s manual. To calculate LDL cholesterol (LDL), we used the Friedewald equation [