Abstract
Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff.) Boerl. has been widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus but its effectiveness is still inconclusive so it needs to be compared with standard drugs such as metformin. This study aims to analyze the effects of P. macrocarpa fruit extracts on blood sugar levels and the repairing of the pancreatic Langerhans islets of diabetic rat models. The study was conducted experimentally by pre and post-test design with a control group. Thirty white rats were divided into 6 groups. All rats were treated with 40 mg/200 g BW of streptozotocin (STZ) to induce hyperglycemia, except group I. Group II as a negative control was given with aquadest. Group III, IV, and V were given with ethanol extract of P. macrocarpa pericarps at doses of 200, 250, and 300 mg/200 g BW/day, respectively. Group VI was given with metformin at a dose of 150 mg/200 g BW/day. On the 22nd day of treatment, blood specimens were taken for examination of fasting blood sugar levels and pancreatic organs were analyzed for histopathological examination of the islets of pancreatic Langerhans. The data were statistically analyzed with α<0.05; CI95%. Paired sample t-test results showed a significant decrease in blood sugar levels before and after treatment in group V (p-value=0.048). One way anova and post hoc Least Significant Difference (LSD) test results showed a significant difference in mean blood sugar levels after the final treatment between groups I and II (p-value=0.013), I and III (p-value=0.004), I and IV (p-value=0.002), I and VI (p-value=0.000), II and VI (p-value=0.031), and V with VI (p-value=0.005); one way anova and post hoc LSD test results showed a significant difference in the mean area of islets of pancreatic Langerhans between group I and all treatment groups (p-value=0.000), II with V and VI (p-value=0.000 and 0.009), III with V and VI (p-value=0.000 and 0.001), and IV with V (p-value=0.003). It can be concluded that the extract of P. macrocarpa pericarps showed a hypoglycemic effect and repaired the damage in Langerhans islets of STZ-induced rat in a dose-dependent manner.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is still a health problem in the world and is one of the five main causes of death (Erejuwa et al, 2011; WHO, 2016)
Persistent hyperglycemia triggers an increase in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which induces excessively increase in free radicals
The decrease in size of the islets of Langerhans reaching 60% of volume which can stimulated by the insulin hypersecretion due to insulin resistance which cause increasing of insulin need
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is still a health problem in the world and is one of the five main causes of death (Erejuwa et al, 2011; WHO, 2016). DM is a serious chronic metabolic disease due to damage to the pancreas so that it cannot produce enough insulin and due to the body's inability to use insulin (insulin resistance). This condition will cause an increase in blood sugar levels, which is called hyperglycemia. Excessive free radicals cause oxidative stress and cause damage to β cells in the islets of Langerhans (Novelli et al, 2014). The decrease in size (atrophy) of the islets of Langerhans reaching 60% of volume which can stimulated by the insulin hypersecretion due to insulin resistance which cause increasing of insulin need. Hypersecretion of insulin increases endoplasmic and mitochondrial reticulum activity which increases free radical accumulation. (Judiono et al, 2009; Jones et al, 2010)
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