Introduction: The use of antidiabetic plants on the diabetes treatment gets more preferable since they are assumed to have minimum side effects. Okra is a plant containing quercetin, which may induce pancreas regeneration and have antidiabetic effect. Based on many researches, purple okra contains more quercetin than green okra. 

Objective: This research proves the advantages of purple okra over green okra on the diabetic markers improvement in diabetic rats. 

Materials and methods: Fifteen male 2-month old wistar rats were injected with 65mg streptozotocine and 110mg niacinamide intraperitoneal. The blood glucose level was tested three days after injection. The induction was succeed if the glucose level was higher than 250mg/dL, and considered as diabetic rats. The diabetic rats were divided into 3 groups: Acarbose group, POP 

and GOP groups were respectively administered with purple and green okra powder for 28 days. Blood serum was taken to examine fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, HOMA-B and GLUT-4 levels. Pancreas was examined for damage using hematoxylin eosin staining. 

Results: The FBG, insulin, HOMA-B and GLUT-4 levels of diabetic rats administered with POP (p<0.05) were better than GOP. The least damage (p<0.05) to pancreatic beta cells takes place with the POP group. 

Conclusion: Purple okra was superior to green okra on the improvement of diabetic markers on rats. 

Keywords: purple okra, pancreatic beta cell, blood glucose, HOMA-B, insulin 

 

INTRODUCTION