The effect of functional rice analogue diet from mocaf, corn, pigeon pea and seaweed on rats model of type 2 diabetes

Rice analogue (RA) consisting of mocaf, corn, pigeon pea and seaweed from East Lombok, Indonesia was formulated into a low glycaemic index (GI) alternative food. The effect of this RA to control diabetes mellitus (DM) on blood glucose, insulin serum and histology of the pancreas was assayed by in vivo experiment using male and female rats aged 10 weeks that had been induced by streptozotocin (STZ) 90 mg/kg body weight 2 days after birth. The treatment was given for 14 days and compared with Broiler-1 (BR-1) feed. The GI test showed that RA has a low GI (47.36), while BR-1 has a moderate GI (66.35). The blood glucose of the RA group was significantly decreased (p<0.05), while insulin serum was increased in comparison to this of BR-1. Histological observation showed an improvement in the pancreas of diabetic rats after treatment with RA in comparison to this of BR-1. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay showed an increase in insulin expression in RA-treated diabetic rats. This study concluded that RA has a low GI. The products were able to increase serum insulin, improve morphological Langerhans and insulin expression on rats model of type 2 DM.