Muhammad Hamizan ZAWAWI, Mohammad Aiman RAYMOND, Zuraidah ABDULLAH, Sabreena SAFUAN
Turkish Journal of Nephrology - 2026;35(3):224-233
Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of chronic kidney failure. Scorodocarpus borneensis (Kulim) has been traditionally used for kidney-related disorders; however, scientific evidence supporting its therapeutic potential remains limited. This pilot study evaluated the effects of Kulim fruit aqueous extract on glycemic control and kidney function in a drug-induced diabetic nephropathy (DN) model. Methods: The cytotoxicity of Kulim fruit extract under high-glucose conditions was first assessed in Vero kidney epithelial cells using the MTT assay. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 12) were divided into 4 groups: normal control, DN control, DN treated with metformin (150 mg/kg), and DN treated with Kulim extract (1000 mg/kg). Diabetes was induced using a high-fat diet followed by streptozotocin (110 mg/kg) and nicotinamide (55 mg/kg). Treatments were administered orally for 28 days. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and kidneyhistopathology were evaluated. Results: Kulim fruit extract improved cell viability under high-glucose conditions. In vivo, Kulim treatment significantly reduced FBG and UACR compared to the DN control group, indicating improved glycemic status and reduced albuminuria. Kulim extract also significantly lowered BUN levels (P = .03) and preserved kidney histoarchitecture, with effects comparable to metformin. Conclusion: Kulim fruit aqueous extract exhibits antidiabetic and nephroprotective effects in experimental DN, supporting its potential as a complementary therapeutic agent for DKD and warranting further mechanistic and clinical studies.
