The Effect of Strawberry Juice on Homa-IR Level in Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Strawberries contain high level of antioxidants and polyphenols, especially anthocyanins as powerful antioxidants. These ingredients can recover insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and pancreatic beta-cell function, which can affect blood sugar levels. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of strawberry juice in recovering insulin resistance in rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) indicators.Methods: In an experimental study, 21 male rats (Rattus norvegicus) of Wistar strain were enrolled and received streptozotocin and nicotinamide to induce DM. They were divided into groups of P1 as negative control group in absence of any treatment, P2 as positive control group that were given metformin HCl (0.9 mg/Kg BW/day), and P3 as intervention group receiving strawberry juice (3.6 mL/200 g BW/day) for 14 days. The HOMA-IR level was determined for all groups and compared.Results: HOMA-IR level in P1 was 8.32±0.26, in P2 was 4.89±0.29, and in P3 was 5.16±0.20. Among groups, prior to treatment, there were no signifcant differences (p =0.66). A signifcant decrease was noted in HOMA-IR in P2 group (-3.75±0.09; p <0.001) and P3 group (-3.26±0.12; p <0.001), while in P1 group was not signifcant (0.03±0.12; p =0.46).Conclusion: Strawberry fruit like metformin was effective in reducing HOMA-IR in rat model of T2DM, when administered alone.

Keywords

• homa-ir
• strawberry
• type 2 diabetes mellitus
• rat