Introduction

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease manifested with hyperglycemia caused by insulin deficiency or resistance. Prolonged elevation of the blood glucose level will cause macro and microvascular complications that resulted in damage of various organs of the body. More than eighty per cent of these conditions were found in low- or middle-income countries [1]. It is estimated that in 2030, in every ten adults one person will get diabetes mellitus (DM) [2]. Chronic hyperglycemia may induce glycation of various plasma proteins, and collagen [3] thus advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are largely produced and accumulated in various tissues and blood circulation [4]. This result of protein formation through non-enzymatic processes caused by high blood sugar levels are thought to alter the hemostatic system, activated coagulation system and generation of oxygen free radicals. Advanced glycation is one of the major causes of diabetic complications [5], [6]. Control diets, exercise and medicine, have been the mainstay treatments of diabetes [7], [8], [9]. Most of the people in Indonesia still used traditional medicine empirically to treat diabetes, like Poguntano leaves [10] as Indonesia is a country of plenty of medicinal plants. Basil leaves (Ocimum basilicum) from family Lamiaceae (mints) known as the king of herbs or “royal herb” originating from India and commonly found in Southeast Asia, is widely used as a culinary ingredient [11], [12].

Empirically, it was used widely to decrease blood sugar in diabetic patients. Basil leaves were reported to have antihyperglycemic and liver protective effects as it stimulates the release of insulin from the pancreas, inhibit the glucose production in the liver and increased glycogen synthesis [13], [14].

This study aimed to study the effect of basil leaves on blood glucose level and AGE in diabetic rats.