Nutritional and Phytochemical Compositions of Peperomia pellucida (L). Kunth from Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, and Its Hypoglycemic Effects in Normoglycemic Sprague-Dawley Rats Subjected to an Acute Glucose Load

Teodhora,1,2,* Rini Hendriani,3 Sri Adi Sumiwi,3,* Jutti Levita3,* 1Doctoral Program in Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Indonesia; 2Faculty of Pharmacy, National Institute of Science and Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia; 3Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Indonesia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jutti Levita, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, 45363, Indonesia, Email [email protected]: Peperomia pellucida (L). Kunth, a perennial plant belonging to the Piperaceae family, grows mainly in wet tropical environments and has been reported to have various biological activities.Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional and phytochemical composition of an ethanol extract of the whole plant Peperomia pellucida (EEPP) collected in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, and its hypoglycemic effects on normoglycemic rats subjected to an acute glucose load.Methods: Nutritional composition of EEPP was assessed by proximate analysis, and vitamin C and quercetin levels were assessed using HPLC. Total phenols, flavonoids, and sterols were assessed using spectrophotometry, and the phytochemical profiles were assessed using UHPLC-HRMS/MS. The hypoglycemic effects of EEPP at doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg body weight on acute glucose load were evaluated using an oral glucose tolerance test in normoglycemic Sprague-Dawley rats.Results: EEPP contains high ash, carbohydrates, and protein, and low fat, with a total energy of 236.82 ± 1.15 kcal per 100 g extract. EEPP contains negligible levels of vitamin C and quercetin, a TPC of 15.62 mg GAE/100 g, a TFC of 8.00 mg QE/100 g, and total sterols of 2461.5 mg BSE/100 g. At least 50 metabolites, including flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, alkaloids, sterols, fatty acid esters, chromenes, and coumarins, have been identified. EEPP demonstrated hypoglycemic properties by reducing 14.7– 35.8% of blood glucose levels in rats subjected to an acute glucose load, but this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05) compared to the negative control group.Conclusion: Because of its nutritional and phytochemical composition, Peperomia pellucida may have the potential to be developed into a nutraceutical supplement, particularly for maintaining blood glucose levels. However, further studies are needed to confirm this effect.Keywords: flavonoids, pellucidin A, Peperomia sp, phytosterols, piperaceae, terpenoids