The Potential of Combined Curcuma xanthorrhiza Rhizome and Averrhoa blimbi Fruit Extract on Decreasing Blood Glucose Levels, Insulitis Degree and Liver Structure Repair of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats Streptozotocin Induced

Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. rhizomes and Averrhoa bilimbi L. fruits have been potential as anti-diabetic herbs. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels or hyperglycemia due to deficiency or ineffectiveness of insulin. The combined use of natural herb (polyherb) is expected to produce a holistic effect in maintaining health and treating disease. This study aims to determine the effectiveness and optimum dosage combination C. xanthorrhiza rhizomes and A. blimbi fruit extract as anti-diabetic herbs in decreasing blood glucose levels, improve pancreas histopathology and the liver structure repair of diabetic male Wistar rats induced by streptozotocin. Twenty-one rats were divided into eighteen diabetic and three nondiabetic rats. The diabetic rats were divided equally into six groups; treated with CMC 0.5% (diabetic control), glibenclamide dosage 0.45 mg/kg bw (reference), extract of C. xanthorrhiza dosage 17.5 mg/kg bw, extract of A. blimbi dosage 750 mg/kg bw, combined extract dosages 767.5 and 383.75 mg/kg bw for 21 constitutive days. The results showed that a higher dosage of combination extract (767.5 mg/kg bw) that significantly lowered blood glucose levels (54.86 ± 34.61%) and improved the pancreas histopathology characterized by increasing number (9.33 ± 0.58) and diameter (53.34 ± 8.82) of Langerhans islet as well as decreasing insulitis degree compared to diabetic rats (p<0.05) and from treatment dosage 383.75 mg/kg bw could decrease the diameter of central vein and percentage necrotized cells of hepatocytes which significantly different with reference and diabetic control (p<0.05), and comparable with nondiabetic rats. In conclusion, the combined extracts were more effective than single extract to treat diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin.