Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic and antidepressant effects of banana peel flakes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Twenty-five male Wistar rats were classified into five groups with different treatments. Groups I to IV were diabetic rats model groups that consumed only standard diet, standard diet containing 5%, 10%, and 20% of banana peel flakes, respectively. While group V was a healthy control group fed a standard diet. Immunohistochemistry staining was measured to examine serotonin expression in the colon and pancreas. Results: The diabetic rats treated with 20% banana peel flakes had a lower blood glucose concentration (p<0.05) compared with diabetic control and showed a shorter duration of immobility time (p<0.05) than the healthy control. Additionally, compared with diabetic control, the diabetic rats treated with 5% banana peel flakes showed higher serotonin expression (p<0.05) in the colon. In contrast, serotonin expression in the pancreas did not show any significant difference (p>0.05). Conclusion: The present study disclosed that the banana peel flakes provided an antidepressant effect in the diabetic rats model, which might occur through the mechanism of controlling blood glucose concentration.

In diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely linked to hyperglycemia metabolism. This study aimed to find out how a banana peel supplemented diet affected histological and liver function changes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and tryptophan are all contained in banana peel flour (BPF). Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has been linked to depression and anxiety. This post-test-only control group study was conducted on twenty-five male Wistar rats which were separated into five groups with different treatments. Groups II to V were diabetic rats model groups that consumed standard diet mixed with BPF 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%, respectively, while group I was a healthy control group fed a standard diet. Hepatic enzyme transaminase (Alanine Aminotransferase-ALT and Aspartate Aminotransferase - AST) and Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining were analyzed with the NAFLD score to examine the liver function and hepatocellular morphology. A change in liver function was observed, as well as a substantial change in the levels of ALT and AST. The NAFLD score with HE staining showed substantial improvements in liver morphology, which was better seen at a 20% BPF dose. The current study supported the hypothesis that BPF had a hepatoprotective effect in diabetic rats, which may be due to the mechanism of controlling the hepatic enzyme transaminase and inducing liver regeneration.

Hemoglobin (Hb) level is a biochemical indicator of the nutritional status of pregnant women, and a low Hb level reduces blood supply to the placenta, which influences the incidence of placenta previa. A placenta previa develops in the lower portion of the uterus, completely or partially expanding to cover the entire birth canal and the internal uterine ostium. The APGAR score is commonly used as a predictor of infant mortality and long-term disability and as an indicator of infant health at birth. The risk of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity increases in placenta previa patients with inadequate vascularization, which can be caused by low Hb levels. This study aimed to determine the relationship between Hb levels and APGAR scores in patients with placenta previa at Sultan Agung Islamic Hospital in Semarang. This analytic observation study is a cross-sectional analysis with purposive sampling method. From January 2017 to January 2018, all placenta previa patients hospitalized at Sultan Agung Hospital in Semarang were included in this study. In this study, we used subject data that met the criteria for inclusion. The p-value derived from the chi-square analysis is 0.041 (p< 0.05). A test of association was conducted. This test revealed that the OR was 11.5 (OR > 1). Low Hb levels (11 g/dl) could significantly increase the risk of a lower APGAR score at 5 min in patients with placenta previa who have a low Hb level.

BACKGROUND: Banana peel (Musa balbisiana Colla) already has a diverse variety of nutritional benefits, but its perishable nature necessitates additional food processing, one of which is banana peel floss. AIM: The objective of this study was to examine the antidepressant effects of banana peel floss in experimental animals subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS) for 6 weeks. METHODS: Animals were randomly assigned into five groups. The first group was fed a control diet without CMS as a negative control. The other four groups were exposed to CMS and fed a control diet as a positive control, with three of the five groups fed a control diet supplemented with 15%, 30%, and 60% banana peel floss. The tail suspension test (TST) and the Morris water maze were used as behavioral parameters in this study (MWM). Cortisol and serotonin levels were measured in two stages: after CMS exposure or before banana peel floss intervention, and after 4 weeks of banana peel floss intervention. RESULTS: The results showed that the immobility time in TST and escape latency in the MWM test were significantly reduced in the groups supplemented with 15% and 30% banana peel floss, respectively. Furthermore, we observed a significant association between serotonin and cortisol levels and also between the duration of immobility time in TST and serotonin levels. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of banana peel floss caused significant changes in plasma serotonin concentrations, implying that the presence of dietary fiber, tryptophan, and bioactive components in banana peel floss can reduce stress-induced depression by regulating cortisol levels and increasing serotonin levels.

Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM) has been linked to depression and lipid metabolism impairment. Serotonin (5-HT) has been known to improve lipid metabolism and affect mood. The 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) in banana peel flour (BPF) is a precursor to synthesize 5-HT in the body, which is linked to initiating liver regeneration via HTR2B receptors. The impact of 5-HTP in the diet on HTR2B receptor expression has yet to be thoroughly investigated. We aimed to elucidate the correlation between serum lipid profile and immobility time in Tail Suspension Test (TST) as depressive-like behavior and compare the expression of HTR2B receptor in healthy and diabetic rats. Male Wistar (Rattus norvegicus) rats were assigned to the control and treatment groups in a DM model with streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally, then either fed standard diet or BPF 10% supplemented standard diet for 21 days. Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine the expression of 5-HT, HTR2B receptors. We determined that diabetic rats fed the standard diet supplemented 10% BPF group showed significantly lower concentrations of total cholesterol and triglycerides compared to diabetic rats fed a standard diet and it was positively correlated between total cholesterol and LDL with the duration of immobility time in TST. The average immunoreactivity score in diabetic rats fed 10% BPF was the highest among the other groups, indicating that the available BPF dose is sufficient for HTR2B activation, which will support the liver cell regeneration process, and should be investigated further.