Effect of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) fruit extract in improving insulin sensitivity by modifying glucose-regulating gene expression

Abstract

The previous study showed that okra fruit extract improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance played an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. At the molecular level, impaired insulin sensitivity could be caused by several factors, mostly the occurrence of a mutation or posttranlation modification at the insulin receptor or its downstream effector molecule. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of okra fruit extract on glucose regulating gene expressions, such as PPAR-γ, adiponection, resistin, GLUT-4, and GLP-1 gene. Evaluation of this gene expression was performed using the PCR-Gel Base method with the β-actin gene as an internal control gene. The area under the curve (AUC) from the image was determined by using ImageJ software. The results showed that the administration of metformin or okra fruit extracts affected the AUC value compared to the positive control, which meant that the expression of each gene changed. Increased expression occurred in PPARG, adiponectin, GLUT-4, and GLP-1 genes; while resistin gene expression decreased. It was concluded that okra fruit extract could improve insulin sensitivity by modifying the expression of PPAR-γ, adiponection, resistin, GLUT-4, and GLP-1 gene.