Dietary inclusion of coconut and date palm fruit blend attenuate hyperglycemia, insulin insensitivity and diabetes-induced complications in vivo

Abstract

Coconut and date fruit are food popularly consumed alone, combined together or in combination with other food components. Additionally, coconut and date palm fruit (separately) were reported to reduce hyperglycemia in several in vivo models of diabetes. However, there is an increase regarding the use of coconut and date fruit mixture in food and soft drink preparation and hence, we proposed that the combination of coconut and date fruit could produce more pharmacological benefit in diabetic model. Thus, the study was aimed at investigating the effect of coconut and date blend (CDB) in fructose-fed streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. Pilot study showed that CDB prepared in the ratio of coconut (4): date fruit (1) depicted best hypoglycemic activity and hence, selected for the study. The combination was then included in the diet (5 % and 10 %) and fed the fructose-streptozotocin induced type 2 rat model for 28 days. The disease model group showed significantly (p < 0.05) elevated blood glucose and lipid profiles levels, β-cell failure and oxidative complications. Dietary inclusion of the CDB, significantly (p < 0.05) reduced blood glucose and lipid profiles levels, mitigated insulin insensitivity and oxidative damages and improved pancreatic β-cell damage in the CDB supplemented groups. The effects were significantly (p < 0.05) more pronounced in group supplemented with the 10 % of the CDB. Conclusively, supplementation of CDB in diet exhibited antidiabetic action and should be recommended for people with diabetes, since apparently no toxicity and fluctuation of blood glucose were observed during the study.