BIOMEDIKA ISSN: 2085-8345. E-ISSN: 2541-2582 Vol 18. No. 1 Februari 2026 doi: 10. 23917/biomedika. EFFECT OF DAHLIA TUBER INULIN EXTRACT ON THE THICKNESS OF THE THORACIC AORTIC TUNICA INTIMA-MEDIA IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC RATS MODEL Cantika Natswa Deanra1. Ismawati*2. Saryono3. Desby Juananda2. Suci Anggraini2. Timotius Agung S2. Veni Dayu Putri4. Sri Yanti4. Fitri Dyna5 AFFILIATIONS Undergraduate of Faculty of Medicine. Universitas Riau. Pekanbaru. Indonesia Faculty of Medicine. Universitas Riau Faculty of Mathematics dan Natural Sciences. Universitas Riau Undergraduate Study Program in Nursing. STIKes Payung Negeri Pekanbaru. Pekanbaru Study Program of Nurse Profession. STIKes Payung Negeri Pekanbaru. Pekanbaru ABSTRACT Inulin is a natural polysaccharide that improves glucose metabolism and reduces cholesterol levels through the formation of short-chain fatty acids, which may contribute to preventing atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of dahlia tuber inulin extract on the thickness of the thoracic aortic tunica intima-media (TIM) in T2DM-induced rats. A total of 20 male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: control. T2DM. T2DM 0. 5 mg/gBW/day inulin extract. T2DM 1. 0 mg/gBW/day inulin extract, and T2DM 1. 5 mg/gBW/day inulin extract. T2DM induction was performed using 60 mg/kgBW streptozotocin and 120 mg/kgBW nicotinamide. Measurement of TIM thickness was conducted using a Leica light microscope with hematoxylin-eosin The results showed no statistically significant differences among the groups . = 0. , although a decreasing trend in TIM thickness was observed at 5 mg/gBW/day dose. In this context, dahlia tuber inulin extract demonstrated a tendency to reduce TIM thickness in T2DM-induced rats. KEYWORDS: dahlia tuber, intima-media thickness, inulin, type 2 diabetes mellitus. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial 4. International License. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Ismawati ismawati@lecturer. INTRODUCTION cases, with the most significant increases observed Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial in developing countries such as India and China. Based on the results of the 2023 Survei Kesehatan environmental, and lifestyle factors, with its primary Indonesia (SKI), the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, etiology involving impaired -cell insulin secretion as determined by blood sugar level examinations, in and insulin resistance in target tissues. 1 The global the population aged 15 years and above was T2DM The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reported Globally. T2DM is a major cause of morbidity and that in 2025 there were 589 million individuals living mortality and is strongly associated with long-term with diabetes worldwide, and this number is complications, particularly cardiovascular diseases. projected to reach 700 million by 2045. 2 T2DM Atherosclerosis is one of the most serious accounts for approximately 90% of all diabetes cardiovascular complications frequently occurring in Avalaible online at https://journals2. id/index. php/biomedika Effect of Dahlia Tuber INulin Extract A (Cantika Natswa Deanr. patients with T2DM. The condition develops through responses to multiple risk factors. 9 In T2DM, atherosclerosis significantly elevates the risk of dysfunction, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, ischemic stroke, particularly when compounded by and lipid metabolism disturbances triggered by lifestyle factors that accelerate plaque formation and prolonged hyperglycemia. 6 In the early stages of arterial narrowing. atherosclerosis, thickening of the intima-media layer Inulin is a polysaccharide composed of fructose of arterial walls occurs as a response to endothelial chains that serves as an energy source for gut injury and lipid infiltration. This thickening, including Fermentation of inulin by intestinal in the thoracic aorta, reflects structural vascular bacteria produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA. , which play a role in reducing mucosal inflammation. Intima-media thickness has long been Numerous studies have investigated the potential recognized as an early indicator and a predictive benefits of inulin in pathological conditions such as marker for cardiovascular events such as myocardial diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. 11, 12 A study by infarction and ischemic stroke. Ismawati et al. reported that inulin derived Chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes directly damages from dahlia tubers reduced insulitis and HOMA-IR in blood vessels by inducing oxidative stress and type 2 diabetic rats after 21 days of administration. Although it did not increase insulin expression, inulin regulation of blood flow and increased susceptibility to inflammation. Persistent hyperglycemia elevates inflammation in the pancreatic islets, suggesting its potential role in preventing vascular complications oxygen species (ROS) detrimental metabolic pathways, such as AGE-RAGE such as atherosclerosis. signaling, which decrease nitric oxide availability. To date, research investigating the vascular initiate inflammation, and contribute to vascular effects of dahlia tuber inulin in type 2 diabetes stiffness and a pro-thrombotic state. This endothelial remains highly limited, particularly regarding the injury represents a critical early event that connects evaluation of thoracic aortic intima-media thickness diabetes to macrovascular complications, such as as an early marker of atherosclerosis. Research 8 A study by Ismawati et al. showed that administering inulin extract from dahlia demonstrated that in an atherosclerotic rat model, tubers can prevent the formation of atherosclerotic intima-media thickness increased progressively with lesions in the coronary arteries13. In this study, disease advancement, reflecting dynamic vascular atherosclerotic lesions were assessed using a BIOMEDIKA. Vol. No. Februari 2026, 1 - 7 Effect of Dahlia Tuber INulin Extract A (Cantika Natswa Deanr. coronary artery tissue scoring system. Although this Health Research Ethics Unit. Faculty of Medicine, assessment is sensitive, its limitation is its invasive Universitas Atherosclerosis Riau, 079/UN19. 8/UEPKK/2025. This experimental research, using a post-test-only control group thickness of the thoracic aorta (IMT) can also detect subclinical atherosclerosis and is non-invasive14. The Laboratory findings of this research are expected to contribute Laboratory. Faculty of Medicine. Universitas Riau. to the scientific development of natural-based The research activities and data collection were carried out from July to November 2025. Biochemistry Anatomical Pathology atherosclerotic progression in T2DM. Therefore, this Male Rattus norvegicus Wistar strain aged 2Ae3 study aimed to evaluate the effects of dahlia tuber months and weighgted 200Ae250 grams. The health inulin extract on thoracic aortic intima-media of the rats was carefully looked after, and their thickness in male Wistar rats induced with type 2 diabetes mellitus. independent variable was dahlia tuber inulin extract. METHODS The This study was a continuation of previous histopathological profile of the coronary artery. The research on the utilization of inulin extract. 13 Dahlia controlled variable was the use of male Wistar Rattus tubers were sourced from Bukittinggi. West Sumatra A total of 20 rats were divided to five Province. Indonesia. The extraction procedure Group I was designated as the normal began by heating 2500 g of cleaned and finely sliced Group II was the group with diabetes fresh dahlia tubers in 5000 ml of distilled water for induced by STZ. and the other three treatment 30 minutes at 80Ae90AC. The solution was then groups were diabetes induced by STZ with inulin cooled to room temperature and filtered to separate the filtrate and residue. Ethanol was added to the mg/gBW/day, and 1. 5 mg/gBW/day, respectively. filtrate in a 1:1 . ratio, followed by cooling at 4AC Prior to treatment, the animals underwent a 12-hour for 18 hours. The mixture was centrifuged at 9000 fasting period. They then received an intraperitoneal rpm for 10 minutes to obtain a white inulin injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at a dose of 60 precipitate, which was subsequently dried at 60AC mg/kgBW dissolved in 0. 1 M citrate buffer . H 4. until yellowish-white inulin powder was formed. Nicotinamide (NA) was administered 15 minutes Ethical approval for this study was granted by the after STZ injection at a dose of 120 mg/kgBW. BIOMEDIKA. Vol. No. Februari 2026, 1 - 7 mg/gBW/day. Effect of Dahlia Tuber INulin Extract A (Cantika Natswa Deanr. After 72 hours, blood specimens were obtained from The results showed that the highest mean tunica the tail vein. Rats were identified as having diabetes intima-media thickness was found in Group IV . when their blood glucose measurements went above A 0. 02 m. , while the lowest mean value was 250 mg/dL, and they then participated in the inulin observed in Group V . 11 A 0. 03 m. (Figure . treatment phase. The rats received inulin by oral 0,14 gavage once daily for 21 days. 0,13 The thoracic aorta was excised after anesthesia 0,12 0,11 with ether, and the tissue was rinsed with NaCl Group I Group II Group i Group IV Group V solution before being processed into histological Mean preparations using . ematoxylin eosi. HE staining. The microscopic slides were evaluated by an anatomical pathologist under a light microscope at 400y magnification across nine fields of view, and Figure 1. Average results of the thoracic aorta intima-media thickness (IMT) measurements from each treatment group. Group I is a control rat without treatment. Group II is DM. Group i is DM 0. 5 mg/gBW/day inulin extract. Group IV is DM 1 mg/gBW/day inulin extract, and Group V is DM 5 mg/gBW/day inulin extract. the mean value was recorded. The intimaAemedia The KruskalAeWallis test performed using SPSS thickness was quantitatively measured using LAS EZ showed a p-value of 0. > 0. , indicating no software integrated with a Leica microscope, and the statistically significant differences in thoracic aorta intimaAemedia Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Although the data were not normally distributed, comparisons statistically significant, the results indicated a between groups were performed using the nontendency toward decreased intimaAemedia thickness parametric KruskalAeWallis test to assess differences in the group receiving 1. 5 mg/gBW/day dahlia tuber among treatment groups. inulin extract compared with the untreated diabetic RESULT AND DISCUSSION Figure 2 illustrates the intimaAemedia Inulin was obtained using an extraction method. thickness of the thoracic aorta in each treatment Analysis of its basic components revealed a moisture group, highlighting the observable trend of reduced content of 6. 75%, ash content of 0. 39%, crude thickness in the inulin-treated groups. carbohydrate content of 91. 41%, and natural fiber BIOMEDIKA. Vol. No. Februari 2026, 1 - 7 Effect of Dahlia Tuber INulin Extract A (Cantika Natswa Deanr. Figure 2. Histopathological images of the thoracic aorta show the thickness of the intima-media (IMT) in all treatment groups (HE staining, magnification 100. Group I is a control rat without treatment. Group II is DM. Group i is DM 0. 5 mg/gBW/day inulin extract. Group IV is DM 1 mg/gBW/day inulin extract, and Group V is DM 1. 5 mg/gBW/day inulin extract. These findings contrast with those of Ismawati et al. atherosclerosis less likely in this region compared to . , who reported significant differences in other vascular segments. Therefore, the location of atherosclerosis scoring in the coronary artery. 13 The the examined tissue strongly influences the results, non-significant differences observed in this study and the use of the thoracic aorta, which experiences may be attributed to the inherent characteristics of stable hemodynamics, may explain why diabetes the thoracic aorta and the method of evaluating atherosclerosis used14. As described by Arridho et al. , the thoracic aorta is a blood vessel segment with stable laminar flow, which provides an atheroprotective effect, making the development of BIOMEDIKA. Vol. No. Februari 2026, 1 - 7 hyperglycemia-induced Effect of Dahlia Tuber INulin Extract A (Cantika Natswa Deanr. inflammation, leading to localized lipid-rich lesions that increase histological lesion scores before overall already established. wall thickening occurs. 16 This means lesion scoringAi These findings are consistent with literature which reflects focal plaque severityAiis more indicating that the effects of inulin on vascularization sensitive to early atherogenic changes than global depend on administration duration, chain structure, measurements like intimaAemedia thickness (IMT). dose, and animal model. In ApoEA/A mice, short- and IMT represents broad structural remodeling of the long-chain vessel wall and may not change significantly in early stages or in arteries such as the thoracic aorta formation through improved despite active atherogenesis elsewhere. Evidence decreased vascular inflammation, and modulation of also shows that diabetic vascular disease tends to gut microbiota, whereas in APOE*3-Leiden mice, produce more inflamed and necrotic plaques in inulin was reported to accelerate atherosclerosis. 18,19 coronary arteriesAifeatures captured by lesion This highlights that inulinAos vascular effects are scoringAiwhile IMT changes, especially in large influenced by genetic background, metabolic status, vessels, progress more slowly and may remain and exposure duration. Therefore, the absence of similar between diabetic and non-diabetic groups in changes in thoracic aorta intima-media thickness in this study may be attributed to the short treatment Thus, atherosclerotic lesions can differ between groups duration and even when IMT does not. thoracic aorta. This study evaluated three doses of dahlia tuber inulin extract . 5, 1, and 1. 5 mg/gBW) and found no significant effect on thoracic aorta intima-media thickness in type 2 diabetic rats. These findings contrast with Ismawati et al. , who reported Dahlia tuber inulin extract demonstrated a trend toward reducing thoracic aortic tunica intimamedia thickness in type 2 diabetic rats, especially at the highest dose. however, these differences were scores in the coronary arteries by decreasing foam FUNDING blood vessel studied. the protective effects of inulin CONCLUSION not statistically significant. discrepancy may be attributed to differences in the the atheroprotective nature of the that inulin significantly reduced atherosclerosis cells and improving vascular histopathology. The This study was partially funded by Research Grants from Universitas Riau 2025 (Contract no: 38564/UN19. 3/AL. 04/2. appear more pronounced in advanced stages, when BIOMEDIKA. Vol. No. Februari 2026, 1 - 7 Effect of Dahlia Tuber INulin Extract A (Cantika Natswa Deanr. REFERENCES