Abstract
Objective: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to abnormal insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Breadfruit has been used in traditional medicine for diabetes mellitus. This study aims to see the effect of giving ethanol breadfruit leaf extract to pancreatic damage induced by alloxan–nicotinamide. Methods: Rats were induced with alloxan–nicotinamide and grouped into 4 groups, namely group I (normal) without treatment, group II (positive) given metformin 100 mg/kg body weight (BW), group III (negative) given Na CMC, group IV gave breadfruit leaves extract 100 mg/kg BW, group V given breadfruit leaves extract 400 mg/kg BW. Treatment was given for 14 days and histopathological examination of the pancreas. Results: The results showed that group I pancreatic histopathology was not damaged, Group II suffered damage of 25–75%, Group III with 25% damage, and group IV showed 50%, and group V showed pancreatic damage from 0 to 25%. Breadfruit leaves extract 400 mg/kg BW has better activity to protect the pancreas and reduced the effect of pancreatic damage in rats. Conclusion: The administration of breadfruit leaves extract 400 mg/kg BW has a potential effect against pancreatic damage better than metformin. This protection against the pancreas might be caused by the antioxidant activity of breadfruit leaves against ROS. This protection on pancreas against ROS might also affect proper insulin secretion.