Antihyperglycemic Potential of Mace Water Extract from Myristica fragrans Houtt

This in vivo study was conducted to investigate the antihyperglycemic potential of the mace water extract from Myristica fragrans Houtt (ME). Oral starch and glucose tolerance tests, measurements of fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, water consumption, and relative weight of organs of experimental animals were performed to evaluate the effect of ME on normal rats and hyperglycemic rats induced by streptozotocin. Acutely, ME (1.84 mg total phenolics from ME/kg BW) was able to inhibit the spike in blood glucose in the oral starch and glucose tolerance tests with a lower area under the curve (AUC) value than the negative control. Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats that received ME (1.84 mg total phenolics from ME/kg BW) for 28 days also showed lower fasting blood glucose and HbA1c than negative controls, even when compared with positive controls (10 mg acarbose/kg BW). This positive effect is also supported by the results for estimated body weight, water consumption, and relative weight of organs of experimental animals. The findings in this study indicate that ME has antihyperglycemic potential in vivo and has the opportunity to be used as a functional food ingredient.