Effects of powdered young coconut drinks on blood glucose and body weight ofdiabetic rats

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of powdered young coconut drinks (PYCD) on blood glucose and body weight of diabetic rats model induced with different injection methods and STZ doses. This experimental study examined 18 adult Sprague Dawley male rats (250-300 g), divided into three groups: normal control (NC), single intraperitoneal injection STZ 55 mg/kg (SII 55), and multiple intraperitoneal injections STZ 50 mg/kg (MII 50). Diabetics rats with a fasting blood glucose (FBG) level of >200 mg/dL were confirmed 3 days after the STZ injection. The MII 50 functioned as the selected group and was administered with 3500 mg/kg of PYCD in a solid form made from the mixture of coconut water and meat from a hybrid variety using the freeze-drying technology and 0.6 mg/kg of glibenclamide as a standard drug in diabetes mellitus for 45 days. Then, the FBG and body weight were determined. The FBG level of the diabetic group significantly increases (p<0.05) unlike that of the NC rats. The result also reveals that MII 50 with a high percentage of animals surviving (100%) is safer than SII 55 with a low surviving rate (50%). The 3500 mg/kg PYCD administration in the solid form has significantly decreased the FBG level and improved the body weight of MII 50 diabetic rats (p<0.05). This study concludes that PYCD 3500 mg/kg has a hypoglycemic effect and could maintain the body weight of selected diabetic rats.