A REVIEW OF EFFECTIVENESS OF RED BETEL LEAVES (Piper crocatum) AS ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC ACTIVITIES

Diabetes is a degenerative disease caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. In Indonesia, diabetes is the third leading cause of death. Elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is one of the clinical features of this disease. Indonesia's biodiversity has abundant potential for herbal plants. Red betel leaf is one of the promising herbal plants (Piper crocatum). Alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and flavonoids are one of the phytochemical components found in red betel leaves. This research is used as a medium of renewable information that is supported from several previous reference sources to strengthen the evidence of the benefits obtained from red betel leaf as an antihyperglycemic agent. This study uses a literature review method using journal database platforms such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect as search engines for journals related to this article. The potential activity of red betel leaf as an antihyperglycemic drug that can lower blood glucose was found from the findings collected from various journal sources and related research. Red betel leaf contains flavonoid compounds that are antioxidants. Antioxidants can bind to hydroxyl radicals that damage pancreatic cells of the islets of Langerhans, enabling these substances to activate insulin activity and treat diseases such as gout, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. Red betel leaf has candidate effective compounds that have the potential as antihyperglycemic agents through the mechanism of lowering blood glucose.