Soy milk and ginger (Sulehe) increase PPAR-γ expression in a rat model of insulin resistance

Background : Diabetes mellitus type 2 is metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to a defect in insulin secretion resulting in insulin resistance. This disease leads to dysfunction of various organs including eyes, kidneys, and heart. One of the alternative diets which can be consumed is a mixture of soy milk and ginger (Indonesian: Susu kedelai dan jahe (Sulehe)). Sulehe contains isoflavones, PUFAs, and gingerols that are affected by insulin resistance. Aim : This study was aimed to discover the effect of Sulehe on peroxisome expression proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) in a rat model of insulin resistance. Methods : Twenty-four rats were divided into six study groups: (1) negative control, (2) positive control, (3) soy milk 5 g/kg BB diet, (4) ginger 500 mg/kg BB diet, (5) Sulehe (soy milk 2500 mg/kg BB + ginger 250 mg/kg BB) diet, (6) Sulehe (soy milk 5000 mg/kg BB + ginger 500 mg/kg BB) diet. This research belonged to experimental in vivo laboratory study with all replications of each treatment across all subjects is completely randomized, and data retrieval with a post-test only control group design. Results : The mean PPAR-γ activity in normal (control) rats was 578 ± 82.02. Sulehe (soy milk 5000 g + ginger 500 mg) diet can increase rat PPAR-γ activity up to 1158 ± 53.74. The significant different result achieved when p-value on ANOVA analysis is less than 0.05 (p<0.05). According to the ANOVA analysis, there was a significant difference in PPAR-γ in the combination of soy milk + ginger 500 mg, with a difference of −345.5, compared with control. Conclusion : In summary, Sulehe may be a potential agent to influence PPAR-γ expression.