The Effect of ED⁹⁰ Dose of Calabash (Crescentia cujete) Decoction on Blood Sugar Levels of Pre-Diabetic Individuals

AUTHOR

Rañeses, G. M. M., Tupas, G. D., MD, MMCE, Guariño, D. V., Martinez, C., Marundan, J. A., Mascardo, K., Melanio, A., Meling, R. K., Mendez, M., Monteverde, K. A., and Montojo, M. D.

KEYWORDS:

Pharmacology, blood sugar, pre-diabetes, calabash, fruit decoction, double blind randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

Pre-diabetes is a condition where body cells begin to show resistance to the effects of insulin. If nothing is done, progression to type 2 Diabetes mellitus is a possibility. This study sought to determine the effect of ED₉₀ dose of Calabash fruit (Crescentia cujete) decoction on the fasting blood sugar levels of pre-diabetic individuals. A total of twenty participants living in Davao City passed the screening criteria for pre-diabetes as well as the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. They were randomly assigned to either the Control (placebo) or Treatment (Calabash decoction) group. The dose for Calabash decoction was based on the ED­₉₀ dose (13.5mg/kg) derived from a previous study on animals. All participants were informed about the ideal diet and exercise regimen for prediabetics. Demographic data such as age, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were determined at baseline. Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) levels were measured on Days 0 (baseline), 7 and 14. Results showed that the two groups were comparable (p>0.05) at the outset in terms of demographics and baseline FBS. Mean FBS levels on days 0, 7 and 14 showed a decreasing trend for both Control and Treatment groups. When examined statistically using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), the means in the Control group showed no significant difference (p>0.05) while a signfiicant difference (p<0.05) was noted in the Treatment group. No side effects were reported. Thus, intake of Calabash decoction could potentially decrease fasting blood sugar levels. Further studies are needed to validate this finding.