Antidiabetic potential of purple okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.), a tropical vegetable has been reported to have many important biological properties and has been used extensively as a traditional medicine especially for diabetic. In general, the objective of this study was to analyze the potentialof okra extract to body weight and pancreas histopathology in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and the result will be compared with that of control DM. The experimental design in this study was pre and post test controlled group design. The first step of this study was analyzing the bioactive compound of okra extract. The next step was administiring okra extract to control group and diabetic rats induced by STZ 50 mg/kgBW for 14 days group. Sprague dawley rats were divided into six groups: normal control (N), diabetic control (DM), diabetic treated with green okra extract (GOE) with the dosage of 5 mg/kgBW quercetin and 10 mg/kgBW quercetin, diabetes treated with purple okra extract (POE) with the dosage of 5 mg/kgBW quercetin and 10 mg/kgBW quercetin. Body weight was weighed every three days and pancreas histopathology was measured by immunohistochemistry indirect method. The following results showed that IC50, antioxidant capacity, fenolic, and quercetin contents ofpurple okra extract were higher (316.86 ppm; 417.54 mg/100g; 3.60%; 0.45 mg/g) than green okra extract (326.48 ppm; 341.43 mg/100g; 3.58%; 0.27 mg/g). Administration of GOE I, GOE II, POE I and POE II in diabetic did not give a significant effect to changes in body weight of rats, but effectively could improve repairmen of β cell pancreas destruction due to STZ induction. These results suggest that intervention of green okra extract and purple okra extract based on quercetin compound showed an antidiabetic potency.