Garlic, Ginger, and Lemon Aqueous Extract: Prevention of

Degenerative Diseases in Old Rats with High Fat Dietary

Arief Budi Yulianti

, Widayanti

and Ike Rahmawaty

Departemt of Histology and Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bandung Islamic University, Jalan Tamansari No 22,

Bandung, Indonesia

Departemt of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bandung Islamic University, Jalan Tamansari No22, Bandung, Indonesia

Keywords: Fat, Garlic Ginger, Lemon, Old.

Abstract: Degenerative diseases occur in person old deal with decreased metabolism. A strict diet in person old ages

is very difficult. The study aims were to evaluate increased of glucose and subcutaneous adipose

abdominally tissue that impact to decrease of the coronary arteries diameter. This study is an experimental

study using 28 Wistar rats, male, age 52-54 weeks, divided into 5 groups, Group1 (normal control), Group2,

3, 4, and 5 were fed high fat, Group 2 (lemon and garlic), Group3(ginger and lemon), Group4 (negative

control), Group5 (garlic, ginger, and lemon), treated as long 30 days. Parameters measured are glucose,

subcutaneous adipose abdominally tissue and coronary artery diameter of the heart. The results showed

glucose levels in negative control was the lowest (p = 0.001). Subcutaneous adipose abdominally tissue

lowest in a group treated with garlic and lemon (p = 0.641). The smallest diameter of the coronary artery

occurred in the group treated with garlic, ginger, and lemon (p = 0.952). The study showed an aqueous

extract of garlic, ginger, and lemon could reduce blood sugar levels and subcutaneous adipose abdominally

tissue. This study needs to be developed, especially study in bioactivity of active compound that regulated

lipid profiles.

1 INTRODUCTION

Going old is a certainty but early aging deal with

degenerative diseases, such as diabetes mellitus,

hypertension, stroke, and heart diseases. Aging

relate to free radicals like reactive oxygen species

(ROS) (Blagosklonny, 2008). Its increase due to a

decrease in metabolic ability related to cell fatigue

due to depletion of mitochondria energy (Neil-

Sherwood, 2018).

Decreased metabolic ability causes

accumulation of fat which causes obesity. Obesity is

a mild inflammation that will increase ROS cause

oxidative stress (Fernández-Sánchez et al., 2011).

Oxidative stress is a condition when free radicals

and antioxidant in unbalance stage in cellular level

(Yulianti et al., 2012). It will cause proteins, lipids,

carbohydrates and nucleic acid oxidized (Hasani-

Ranjbar et al., 2013). This due to degenerative

diseases, such as increased glucose in plasma,

accumulation of fat especially in the abdomen.

Oxidative stress condition handle with

antioxidants as a supplement alternatively.

Antioxidants in herbs widely used to lose weight,

such as ginseng, green tea, oranges, soursop already

have a preclinical base evident (Hasani-Ranjbar.,

2013, Liu et al., 2017). Meanwhile, garlic and lemon

aqueous extract significantly reduce the weight of

rats with a high-fat diet, but ginger even raises

weight (Yulianti et al., 2017).

Does the aqueous extract of garlic, ginger and

lemon can prevent degenerative diseases? In this

study, old rats fed high fat and treated with a mixture

of garlic, ginger, and lemon with the aim were

analyzing changes in plasma glucose concentration,

fat deposits, and coronary artery diameters.

2. METHODS

This study was an experimental study by using old

rats fed high fat (Figure 1). Twenty-eight Wistar

rats, male, age 52-54 weeks, divided into 5 groups,

Group1 (normal control), Group2, 3, 4, and 5 were

fed high fat, Group 2 (lemon and garlic),

Group3(ginger and lemon), Group4 (negative

control), Group5 (garlic, ginger, and lemon), treated

Yulianti, A., Widayanti, . and Rahmawaty, I.

Garlic, Ginger, and Lemon Aqueous Extract: Prevention of Degenerative Diseases in Old Rats with High Fat Dietar y.

DOI: 10.5220/0008790900650067

In Proceedings of the 2nd Syiah Kuala International Conference on Medicine and Health Sciences (SKIC-MHS 2018), pages 65-67

ISBN: 978-989-758-438-1

as long 30 days. Parameters measured are glucose,

subcutaneous adipose abdominally tissue and

coronary artery diameter of the heart.

Figure 1. Research method

3. RESULT

Glucose concentration in plasma showed in figure 2.

Rats treated with garlic, ginger, and lemon

significantly different from the normal control group

(p=0.005). Glucose concentration in normal control

lowest than negative control. Normal control

significantly different from the group treated with

garlic and lemon and a group treated with garlic,

ginger, and lemon. In this result, glucose plasma in

the normal control relatively lowest among the

group. That means rats fed high fat due to increase

glucose in plasma and treated with garlic, ginger,

and lemon did not reduce plasma glucose levels in

plasma.

Fat deposited in abdominal subcutaneous in

normal control relative highest than negative control

(Figure 3). Rats treated with garlic and lemon had

fat deposited in abdominal subcutaneous lowest

among the group, although not significantly different

(p=0.641). That means rats fed high fat and treated

with garlic, ginger, and lemon did not reduce

deposited fat in abdominal subcutaneous.

Figure 2 Glucose concentration in plasma

Note group 1 normal control, group 2, 3,4,5 fed high

fat. Group 2 treated with garlic and lemon, 3 ginger

and lemon, 4 negative control, 5 treated with garlic,

ginger, and lemon.

The diameter of the artery coronary in negative

control relative higher than the normal control. Rats

treated with garlic, ginger, and lemon not caused

artery coronary diameter withed (p=0.952).

4. DISCUSSION

Old rats fed high-fat feeds will increase glucose

levels in plasma. Aging is closely related to insulin

resistance (Horwich et al., 2011). The results

showed glucose levels in normal control was the

lowest. High fat fed due to increasing glucose

plasma concentration, but treated with garlic, ginger

and lemon with doses 4 g/BW/day have not been

able to reduce glucose levels in plasma, so to

determine optimal dose must be reviewed.

Subcutaneous adipose abdominally tissue lowest

in the group treated with garlic and lemon. Garlic

and lemon. Garlic and lemon could lose weight, but

so far there has been no scientific evidence, but only

from an herbalist experience. This study proves that

a mixture of garlic and lemon can reduce weight

significantly (Yulianti et al., 2017).

The smallest diameter of the coronary artery

occurred in the group treated with garlic, ginger, and

lemon. The expectation was garlic, ginger and lemon

will increase the diameter of the coronary artery.

But, in this study shows the opposite. Study in

young men obesity (Fernhall et al., 2013) that

obesity caused changes in the artery diameter

profile. In this study, the rats were fed with high fat

had an artery diameter was relatively larger than

other groups. This needs further investigation.

• Male

• 52-54 weeks

• 5 groups: 1 negative

control; 2, 3,5 treatment

groups; 4 positive control

Rat

• Garlic: 4 g/Kg BW

• Ginger: 4 g/Kg BW

• Lemon: 4 g/Kg BW

Treatment

• Glucose in plasma

• Adipose tissue 

subcutaneous abdominal

• Diameter of artery

coronary ( HE, optilab,

Image J)

Parameters

87,50

110,80

125,40

113,83

129,17

0,00

50,00

100,00

150,00

1 2 3 4 5

Glucose (mg/dL)

Group

SKIC-MHS 2018 - The 2nd Syiah Kuala International Conference on Medicine and Health Sciences

Figure 3 Fat deposited in abdominal subcutaneous

(Black) and diameter of artery coronary (Striped)

Note group 1 normal control, group 2, 3,4,5 fed high

fat. Group 2 treated with garlic and lemon, 3 ginger

and lemon, 4 negative control, 5 treated with garlic,

ginger, and lemon.

5. CONCLUSIONS

Glucose concentration in plasma increase deal with

aging. The study showed an aqueous extract of

garlic, ginger, and lemon increase glucose

concentration in plasma and subcutaneous adipose

abdominally tissue. But no effect in artery coronary

diameter. This study needs to be developed,

especially study in bioactivity of active compound

that regulated lipid profiles

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research funded by LPPM Unisba. Thank you

to Leader and staff LPPM Unisba. And Dean of

Faculty of Medicine Unisba to support me to go to

an International Conference in Syiah Kuala

University, Banda Aceh.

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0,00

10,00

20,00

30,00

1 2 3 4 5

Adipose (g); Diameer

(µm)

Groups

Adiposa Diameter

Garlic, Ginger, and Lemon Aqueous Extract: Prevention of Degenerative Diseases in Old Rats with High Fat Dietary