Introduction: Antidiabetic medicinal plants are increasingly used in the treatment of diabetes as they are generally assumed to pro-duce minimal side effects. Okra is a quercetin-containing plant which can induce pancreas regeneration and has antidiabetic effect. There has been a lot of research that demonstrate that purple okra contains more quercetin than green okra. Aim: To demonstrate 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 intraperitoneally with 65 mg streptozotocin and 110 mg niacinamide. Their blood glucose levels were measured three days after the injection. The induction of diabetes was deemed  successful if the glucose level of the rats got higher than 250 mg/dL, and then such rats were considered diabetic. The diabetic rats were divided into three groups: an acarbose group, a purple okra powder group, and a green okra powder group. The latter two were given, respectively, purple and green okra powder for 28 days. Blood serum was taken to examine the fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-B and GLUT-4 levels. Pancreas was examined histologically for damage using hematoxylin eosin staining.  Results: Fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-B, and GLUT-4 levels of diabetic rats that received purple okra powder (p<0.05) were better than those of the rats that received green okra powder. The least damage (p<0.05) to pancreatic beta cells was found in the purple okra powder group. Conclusions: Purple okra is superior to green okra in terms of improving the diabetic markers of rats.

Porang Glucomannan Supplementation Improves Lipid Profile in Metabolic Syndrome Induced Rats

Aging is a predominant risk factor for several diseases associated with reduced life expectancy. To address this risk factor, several studies have proposed the combined use of porang glucomannan and a high-protein diet to improve various aging markers. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of porang glucomannan and high-protein combination diet as an anti-aging agent. An experimental study using a post-test-only control group design was conducted using Sprague Dawley white rats. The animals were randomly divided into four groups with different treatments as follows: normal control, D-galactose, high-protein diet, and a combination of porang glucomannan and high-protein combination diet. Blood samples were then collected from the ophthalmic vein on day 58 for biomarker measurement using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The parameters measured were superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), growth differentiation factor-11 (GDF11), and α-Klotho levels. The results showed that the combination of porang glucomannan and high-protein diet could improve oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging markers. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test followed by post-hoc least significant difference (LSD) showed significant differences between the combination diet and high protein group (p<0.0001). In addition, the average levels of oxidative stress markers (SOD and MDA) in porang glucomannan and high-protein combination group were improved significantly. Similar results were also obtained for inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α) and aging markers (NLRP3, IGF-1, GDF-11, and α-Klotho). The mean NRLP-3 levels in glucomannan and high-protein combination group were not significantly different compared to control. The study highlights that the combination of porang glucomannan and a high-protein diet effectively improved various aging markers.

Diabetes melitus menjadi salah satu penyakit degeneratif dengan berbagai komplikasi penyakit. Peningkatan prevalensi penderita diabetes melitus menjadi tanggung jawab bersama untuk meningkatkan kualitas hidup penderita melalui konsumsi obat jangka panjang sebagai upaya pengendalian kadar gula darah. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) sebagai tumbuhan asli Indonesia menjadi salah satu alternatif yang dapat dimanfaatkan dalam pencegahan penyakit diabetes melitus. Kurangnya informasi dan pengetahuan masyarakat terkait Okra sebagai antidiabetes menjadikan Okra kurang dimanfaatkan. Pengabdian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan masyarakat terkait pemanfaatan Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) sebagai terapi adjuvant penyakit diabetes melitus melalui kegiatan edukasi di Desa Banjardowo, Kota Semarang. Metode pelaksanaan pada kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah ceramah yang diikuti diskusi mengenai pemanfaatan Okra sebagai terapi adjuvant penyakit diabetes melitus. Total 25 peserta kader Pemberdayaan Kesejahteraan Keluarga (PKK) Desa Banjardowo, Kota Semarang berkumpul untuk dilakukan pengukuran status antropometri, status metabolik dan dilanjutkan pemberian kuesioner pre-test terkait diabetes dan pemanfaatan Okra. Kegiatan edukasi diikuti dengan diskusi terkait pemanfaatan Okra dan diakhiri dengan kegiatan post-test untuk evaluasi adanya peningkatan pengetahuan. Edukasi kesehatan mengenai pemanfaatan Okra sebagai terapi adjuvant penyakit diabetes melitus mampu meningkatkan pengetahuan peserta sebesar 28% dari pengetahuan awal sebelum dilakukan edukasi. Diabetes mellitus is a major degenerative disease associated with various complications. The increasing prevalence of diabetes patients highlights a shared responsibility to improve their quality of life, primarily through long-term medication as a means of controlling blood glucose levels. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.), a plant native to Indonesia, represents a potential alternative for the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus. However, limited public knowledge and awareness regarding Okra’s antidiabetic properties have led to its underutilization. This study aimed to increase public knowledge about the use of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) as an adjuvant therapy for diabetes mellitus through an educational program conducted in Banjardowo Village, Semarang City. The method used was a lecture followed by a discussion on the role of Okra in diabetes management. A total of 25 participants, members of the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) group in Banjardowo Village, underwent anthropometric and metabolic status assessments and completed a pre-test questionnaire assessing their knowledge of diabetes and Okra utilization. The educational session was followed by a discussion and concluded with a post-test to evaluate the improvement in knowledge. The results showed a 28% increase in participants’ knowledge after the educational intervention, indicating that health education on Okra as an adjuvant therapy can effectively enhance community awareness and understanding in the context of diabetes management.

PENINGKATAN GAYA HIDUP SEHAT LANSIA MELALUI PENYULUHAN DAN PENDAMPINGAN PENGATURAN KOMPOSISI MAKRONUTRIEN DAN MIKRONUTRIEN DIET

Abstrak: Diabetes mellitus merupakan salah satu penyakit metabolik dengan prevalensi tinggi di Indonesia. Prinsip tatalaksana diabetes mellitus melalui pengontrolan kadar glukosa darah dapat dilakukan dengan penambahan okra dengan kandungan senyawa aktif sebagai terapi adjuvant diabetes mellitus. Pelatihan bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kemampuan masyarakat terkait cara pengolahan okra sebagai terapi adjuvant diabetes melitus. Metode: Ceramah, pelatihan, dan pendampingan dilakukan pada kegiatan ini. Evaluasi keberhasilan kegiatan dilakukan melalui one group pre and post-test dengan peserta 25 kader PKK Desa Banjardowo, Kota Semarang. Peserta diberikan lembar pertanyaan sebelum dan sesudah edukasi kesehatan dan pelatihan pengolahan okra. Hasil jawaban benar pre dan post-test dianalisis dan ditemukan perbedaan yang signifikan pada rerata jumlah jawaban benar pre-test dan post-test. Kegiatan edukasi dan pelatihan terkait pengolahan okra dapat meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kemampuan peserta hingga 26,4% dari pengetahuan awal saat pre-test melalui peningkatan jumlah jawaban benar pada sesi post-test setelah diberikan intervensi berupa edukasi dan pelatihan pengolahan okra sebagai terapi adjuvant DM. Diabetes mellitus is one of the metabolic diseases with high prevalence in Indonesia. The principle of diabetes mellitus management through controlling blood glucose levels can be done by adding okra with active compound content as adjuvant therapy for diabetes mellitus. This training aimed to evaluate the impact of education on enhancing community knowledge and skills in processing okra as an adjuvant therapy for diabetes mellitus. Method: Lectures, training, and mentoring were conducted in this activity. Evaluation was conducted through one group pre and post-test with 25 PKK cadres from Banjardowo Village, Semarang City. Participants were given a questionnaire before and after health education and okra processing training. The results of the correct answers to the pre and post-test were analyzed and a significant difference was found in the average number of correct answers to the pre-test and post-test. The education and training activities improved participants’ knowledge and skills by 26.4% from baseline, as evidenced by the increased number of correct responses in the post-test following the intervention. Conclusion: Education and training on okra processing significantly enhanced participants’ understanding and ability to utilize okra as an adjuvant therapy for diabetes mellitus.