Effect of Petiveria alliacea leaf extract and its active components on heart muscle cell apoptosis induced by hyperglycemia.

Background: Hyperglycemia is a condition in which blood sugar levels increase excessively due to a variety of factors, one of which is the body's inability to regulate insulin properly. Diabetes closely relates to this condition, which significantly contributes to premature death and disability. Long-term diabetes treatment accompanied by a strict diet provides real results in controlling blood glucose levels but can cause side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on the potential for new drug sources with minimal side effects. Traditional medicine empirically uses the plant Petiveria alliacea.

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of P. alliacea on hyperglycemic model rat and to further determine the mechanism of its active compounds in silico.

Methods: The experimental animals were divided into 5 groups: 1 normal group, 1 group induced with Streptozotocin (STZ) 50 mg/kgBW to treat hyperglycemia, and 3 other groups induced with STZ 50 mg/kgBW and given 70% ethanol extract of P. alliacea leaves (EEPa) in different doses. Each group was measured for B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) expression and apoptosis. We also carried out in silico identification of the isoarborinol acetate and myricitrin compounds contained in EEPa against alpha-glucosidase and caspase-3.

Results: It was found that giving STZ to rat can cause hyperglycemia. This was shown by measuring fasting blood glucose in rat and then measuring Bcl2 as an antiapoptotic agent. Bcl2 levels rose compared to the hyperglycemic control group and can lower apoptosis expression in heart cells of hyperglycemic model rat with an optimal dose of 90 mg/kgBW. In addition, the results showed that isoarborinol acetate and myricitrin compounds have inhibition of alpha-glucosidase and caspase-3.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that EEPa is one of the alternative choices to overcome hyperglycemia.