Pancreoprotective Effect of Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus, Fabaceae) Fiber against High-Sugar Diet in Mice

AIM: Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus, Fabaceae) has been promoted as a potent tuberous plant exerting both preventive and therapeutic effects against many diseases. In this present study, we aimed to investigate the pancreoprotective effect of isolated jicama fiber (JF) against glucotoxicity caused by high-sugar diet (HSD). METHODS: We performed an animal experimental research using adult male BALB/c mice with a completely randomized design consisted of four treatments and six replications. The treatments were diet types such as normal diet and HSD, supplemented with 10% and 25% of JF, respectively. The treatments were deployed for 8 weeks. Furthermore, random and fasting blood glucose levels were measured; histopathological alterations of pancreas including pancreatic adiposity, size of islet area, total cell number per islet, and necrosis level of pancreatic acinar cells were examined. Quantitative data were analyzed using an ANOVA followed by Duncan’s new multiple range test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that supplementation of JF 10% and 25% improved blood glucose profile and significantly reduced inter pancreatic adiposity caused by HSD. Moreover, JF at the dose of 25% effectively sustained normal size of the islet of Langerhans and total cell number of the islet in pancreas of HSD-fed mice. JF 25% was also effective to counteract necrosis of pancreatic acinar cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings clarify a protective effect of JF, particularly at a dose of 25%, on pancreatic tissues against degeneration caused by HSD. Hence, JF is reliable to be a supplement counteracting the development of diabetes mellitus and associated diseases.