IPB Researchers Create Herbal Tea Made from Bitter Melon to Prevent Diabetes Mellitus
The research team of the Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) developed a formulation of bitter melon tea. This tea is a mixture of pare and sukralosa powder in the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus. The researcher is Dr. Indah Yuliasih and Faysyela Aulia Kusumawardhani.
The treatment of diabetes mellitus is mostly done with oral hypoglycemic drug administration or insulin injections. However, the use of such drugs can have side effects and cause a state of hypoglycemia or a condition of blood glucose levels below normal limits.
The use of herbs in medicine in Indonesia is increasing. The use of medicinal plants as herbs controlling blood glucose levels has been widely used by the society since old time, but its effectiveness and safety has not been fully supported by adequate research. Therefore, the IPB research team found a safer alternative treatment, and gave relatively low side effects.
"This herbal tea is one of the development of bitter melon-based products that have been turned into powder then added with sucralose. Hopefully this drink can be an alternative for prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus," said Dr. Indah.
Besides served as a food ingredient, bitter melon can be used as a traditional medicine that can prevent and treat disease. Bitter melon plants contain antidiabetic properties. Extracts from fruits, seeds and pare leaves contain active compounds that have the property to lower blood sugar levels. However, the bitter taste in the bitter melon resulted in people reluctant to consume this fruit. Thus, the innovation is made from this herbal beverage product.
In this research, three formulations were made with the ratio of bitter melon and sucralose as follows, S1 (90:10), S2 (80:20), S3 (70:30). The results showed that the selected herbal tea formulation was a mixture of pare and sucralose powder with a ratio of 80:20. The addition of sucralose can reduce bitter taste in bitter melon, so it is considered sufficient to meet consumer demand.
"Bitter melon tea with the addition of sucralose can be used as an alternative herbal drink that allegedly can be used to stabilize blood sugar as an effort to prevent and treat diabetes mellitus," said Dr. Indah. (FM)
