Glycemic Evaluation of Okra Seed Noodles
Condition: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
MeSH terms: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In Singapore, the Ministry of Health has declared a "War on Diabetes" and major efforts will
      be made to develop and deploy programs to prevent diabetes. One of the cornerstones of
      diabetes management involves dietary modifications to reduce postprandial hyperglycaemia.
      However, implementation of a low GI diet is highly complex requiring the individual to choose
      foods from a long list which are primarily based on western consumption patterns. Many foods
      in the Asian diet, which largely consist of carbohydrates such as white rice, noodles and
      other flour-based products, are not represented. An alternative solution will require
      innovative ways to alter commonly available food products that will not only help reduce
      postprandial glycaemia but also preserve the sensory characteristics of the foods to create a
      new generation of food products both functional and palatable.
    

Detailed description: 
      Research has confirmed that a food's glycemic effect cannot be accurately predicted from the
      type and amount of carbohydrates it contains, as the rate at which the carbohydrates is
      digested and released into the bloodstream is influenced by many factors such as the food's
      physical form, its fat, protein and fibre content, and the chemical structure of its
      carbohydrates. For these reasons, it is possible to produce food from the same group with
      different effects on blood glucose. Consumption of low glycemic index (GI) food has shown to
      improve glycemic control, lipid profile and reduce systemic inflammation. However, there are
      few dietary intervention studies attempting to change the GI of food by changing the staple
      carbohydrates. In this study, the glycemic index of noodle fortified with Okra seed extract
      will be determined as compared to a control without the fortification. The fortified noodles
      have been previously tested to produce lower glycaemic response than noodle without
      fortification. With noodles being one of the staples to many Singaporeans, noodles fortified
      with functional ingredients derived from food sources offer a lower GI alternative to the
      conventional noodles without affecting the people dietary preference.

      In the investigator's preliminary study, okra exhibits potential as an anti-diabetic food
      ingredient in the formulation of low GI staple foods. Indian okra was the most effective
      overall starch hydrolase inhibitor, inhibiting α-amylase with 50 percent inhibitory
      concentration (IC50) 2.94 + 0.70 μg/mL and α-glucosidase with IC50 of 23.98 + 1.88 μg/mL.
      Incorporation of okra seeds into tapioca starch, and rice flour noodles successfully lowered
      digestibility. To verify in vitro results, human clinical trials is proposed to investigate
      whether okra seed fortification in noodles successfully retards postprandial hyperglycaemia
      in humans when consumed.
    

Intervention name(s): Okra seed
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Noodle enriched with 10% and 20% Okra seed flour.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: This study is a within-subject cross-over trial to assess the glycemic and insulinemic responses of 0%, 10% and 20% okra-seed enriched noodles in healthy human subjects.
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Glucose; Insulin; Ghrelin; GLP-1