UNAIR NEWS – Four students majoring in Biology of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) Universitas Airlangga, have successfully proven eating strawberry juice on a regular basis can lower blood sugar level for diabetics significantly. It is acquired from the test conducted to some lab mice. Consumption of strawberry juice can be an alternative treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM)which is very expensive.
The four UNAIR students are Dwiyana Indah Safitri (17) Leader of the Research Group, Eka Kartika Arum Puspita Sari (18), Daulah Iftitah (18), and Nabilatun Nisa (21). The results of the research are presented as the proposal of Student Creativity Program in the field of Exacta Research (PKM-PE) entitled ” Benefits of Strawberry Fruit Anti-Oxidant (Fragaria sp.) as Diabetes Mellitus Treatment in Mice (Mus musculus) “. As it was deemed prospective, it has passed the assessment of General Directorate of Higher Education and is entitled to Kemenristekdikti research grant for PKM program in 2017.
Based on the data from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Indonesia, in 2013, Indonesia’s population with DM was estimated to reach 16.5 million. It is further estimated that by 2030, there will be about 25 million people with DM in Indonesia. Indonesia ranks fourth with largest number of DM patients in the world after the US, India, and China.
DM is a chronic disease that cannot be cured, but it can be reduced and blood sugar levels can be controlled. It can also be prevented. If it is untreated, DM disease can cause various complications caused by high blood sugar levels, such as heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, brain disorders, etc.
Because of DM treatment which is costly, an alternative treatment more affordable but effective is needed, especially to control or reduce blood sugar levels significantly. In a journal published in the British Journal of Nutrition (2010), it was mentioned that the consumption of berries fruits (including strawberries) has a very good response to lower glucose levels.
INDUCTION of strawberry juice to lab mice. (Photo: PKM-PE FST Team)
Under the guidance of their lecturer, Drs. Saikhu Akhmad Husen, M.Kes., The four students are trying to examine the benefits of strawberries containing natural flavonoids, namely fisetin (3.3 ‘, 4’7 Tetrahydroxyflavone ). Fisetin can prevent the occurrence of complications in patients with DM. To test the benefits of fisetin , strawberries were tested in mice.
“We try to provide alternative treatment for people with diabetes mellitus because the medicine for this patient is very expensive, so many people with DM cannot afford to buy medicine or get treaments,” said Dwiyana Indah Safitri, leader of this PKM team.
Strawberries are whipped so it can be consumed easily. Then, the strawberry juice induced in mice to determine its effect on the decrease of blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels during treatment of diabetes and after the treatment with strawberry juice are measured to determine the changes.
The results are then analyzed using computer software to determine the difference and correlation between each data obtained. Statistical analysis includes normality using the Kolmogrov Smirnov test . Then the data was tested homogenously with Lavene test. If the data is normally distributed and homogeneous (p> 0.05) then the data is tested with one Way ANOVA (α = 0.05) to determine the effect of the treatment group. The result showed significant effect (p <0.05) then continued by Duncan test (α = 0,05) to know difference of influence between treatment group.
The results showed that the strawberry juice induced in lab animals (mice) had homogeneous and normally distributed data. It proves that consuming strawberry juice regularly can lower blood sugar levels and increase the diabetics’ weight. The strawberry juice which is cheap can be used as an alternative medicine by the diabetics replacing expensive diabetes drugs. (*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
