In vivo hypoglycemic effect of methanolic fruit extract of Momordica charantia L

A novel hydrogel loaded with plant exosomes and stem cell exosomes as a new strategy for treating diabetic wounds

Diabetic wound healing is constrained by various factors, including chronic inflammation, sustained oxidative stress, impaired angiogenesis, and abnormal wound microenvironments. Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-exo) contain a wealth of bioactive substances that play a positive role in promoting diabetic wound healing. Plant-derived exosomes, as a novel therapeutic approach, are continuously being explored. Momordica charantia (MC) has been shown to possess blood glucose-lowering effects, and its exosomes are of significant relevance for treating diabetic wounds. However, direct application of exosomes to wounds faces challenges such as poor stability and short retention time, limiting their therapeutic effectiveness and clinical applicability. Encapsulating exosomes in hydrogels is an effective strategy to preserve their bioactivity. In this study, we fabricated a hydrogel loaded with MSC-exo and MC exosomes (MC-exo) by photopolymerization of methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and dopamine (MEMC-Gel). The resulting MEMC-Gel exhibited favorable mechanical properties, adhesion, degradability, absorbency, and biocompatibility. In vitro, MEMC-Gel demonstrated the ability to resist inflammation, counter oxidative stress, promote fibroblast migration, support endothelial cell angiogenesis, and regulate macrophage polarization. In a diabetic mouse wound model, MEMC-Gel accelerated wound healing by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, modulating macrophage immune responses and hyperglycemia within the microenvironment, promoting angiogenesis, and enhancing epithelialization. In conclusion, MEMC-Gel is an outstanding hydrogel dressing that synergistically promotes repair by loading MSC-exo and MC-exo, significantly accelerating diabetic wound healing through multiple mechanisms. This multifunctional hydrogel, based on exosomes from two different sources, provides an innovative therapeutic strategy for diabetic wound repair with broad clinical application potential.

Bioactive polysaccharides from Momordica charantia as functional ingredients: a review of their extraction, bioactivities, structural-activity relationships, and application prospects

Momordica charantia L. is a well-known medicine and food homology plant with high pharmaceutical and nutritional values. Polysaccharides are carbohydrate polymers connected by glycosidic bonds, one of the key functional ingredients of M. charantia. Recently, M. charantia polysaccharides (MCPs) have attracted much attention from industries and researchers due to their anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-diabetes, anti-bacteria, immunomodulatory, neuroprotection, and organ protection activities. However, the development and utilization of MCPs-based functional foods and medicines were hindered by the lack of a deeper understanding of the structure-activity relationship (SAR), structural modification, applications, and safety of MCPs. Herein, we provide an overview of the extraction, purification, structural characterization, bioactivities, and mechanisms of MCPs. Besides, SAR, toxicities, application, and influences of the modification associated with bioactivities are spotlighted, and the potential development and future study direction are scrutinized. This review provides knowledge and research underpinnings for the further research and application of MCPs as therapeutic agents and functional food additives.

The therapeutic potential of Wild Bitter Melon to ameliorate muscle atrophy in a murine model

Objective

Muscle atrophy due to immobility is a common complication of many diseases and a consequence of therapeutic processes. Immobility and inactivity have been shown to be associated with increased inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of Wild Bitter Melon (WBM) (Momordica charantia Linn) on muscle atrophy due to immobility in a mouse model.

Materials and Methods

This study was performed in two phases of atrophy and recovery on male BALB/c mice which were divided into 3 groups: control, immobilized, and experimental. The treatment period with WBM at a dose of 400 mg/kg daily by gavage was 17 days, including 7 days of being immobilized and 10 days of recovery. At the end of each phase, half of the mice from each group were examined regarding the four limb grip strength, and then histological and biochemical analyses were done.

Results

The tissue level of malondialdehyde (MDA) oxidative stress index in the atrophy phase in the atrophy group (5.4567±0.522) nmol/g compared to the control group (3.455±0.065) nmol significantly (p 0.001) <) increased. Also, the tissue level of MDA in the WBM group (3.87±0.035) showed a significant decrease compared to the atrophy group (p<0.01). The strength percentage of four limbs in the mice of the treatment group (-23.46±2.45) was significantly higher than that of the atrophy group (-30.60±3.15) at the end of the atrophy phase.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the use of WBM reduces the degree of inflammation, oxidative stress and muscle damage, as well as muscle atrophy, which may improve the muscle atrophy in mice.

Bitter melon extract suppresses metastatic breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cells) growth possibly by hindering glucose uptake

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women, however the complete cure for metastatic breast cancer is lacking due to poor prognosis. There has been an increasing trend of dietary modifications including consumption of natural food for the prevention of cancer. One of the popular natural foods is bitter melon. Bitter melon grows in tropical and subtropical areas. Some of the beneficial effects of bitter melon towards disease including cancer have been reported at the whole body/organismal level. However, specific cellular mechanisms by which bitter melon exerts beneficial effects in breast cancer are lacking. In this study, we used a human metastatic breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 cell, to study if bitter melon alters glucose clearance from the culture medium. We co-cultured MCF-7 cells with bitter melon extract in the presence and absence of supplemented insulin and subsequently measured MCF-7 cells viability. In this study, we report a noble finding that bitter melon extract exerts cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 cells possibly via inhibition of glucose uptake. Our findings show that insulin rescues MCF-7 cells from the effects of bitter melon extract.

In vitro and in vivo study of inhibitory potentials of α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase and biochemical profiling of M. charantia in alloxan-induced diabetic rat models

OBJECTIVES

Diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial chronic disease that affects the human population and it is the third most common cause of death worldwide. Momordica charantia is used as popular folk medicine and its action against diabetes mellitus remains unclear. We investigated the inhibitory potentials of α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and biochemical profiling of M. charantia in alloxan-induced diabetic rat models.

METHODS

An In vivo study was carried out by using twenty male albino Wistar rats randomly divided into five groups each comprising four rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced by single intraperitoneal administration of 80 mg/kg body weight of alloxan and treatment with plant extract was conducted for a period of thirty days to check their impact on body weight and differentblood values. Biochemical profiling and characterization were performed by in vitro assays and HPLC, and FTIR. Histopathologic effects of M. charantia were examined through automated image analysis. Results were analyzed through Tukey's test, a complete randomized design and two factorial designs under CRD.

RESULTS

Methanolic extract demonstrated potent alpha-glucosidase (72.30 ± 1.17%) and acetylcholinesterase (50.12 ± 0.82%) inhibitory activities. HPLC analysis confirmed the existence of vital flavonoids, antioxidants, and saponins. FTIR revealed the presence of hydroxyl groups, esters, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, ketones, alcohols, amines and carboxylic acids as major functional groups. Results of in vivo study demonstrated that co-administration of alloxan and methanolic extract of M. charantia significantly improved the levels of fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and insulin in diabetic rats.

CONCLUSION

M. charantia can be recommended as a therapeutic adjunct for diabetic patients as it can provide favorable remedial action in the context of the diabetes continuum of metabolic syndrome.

Thermal treatment enhances the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) by increasing the free form of phenolic compounds and the contents of Maillard reaction products

Inhibition of α-glucosidase can slow carbohydrate metabolism, which is known as an effective strategy for diabetes treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of thermal treatment (50, 60, and 70℃) for 15 days on the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of bitter melon. The results show that the bitter melon heated at 70℃ for 12 days had the best α-glucosidase inhibitory effect. However, the amount of free polyphenols, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF), and the browning degree of bitter melon generally increased with the time (15 days) and temperature of the thermal treatment, which is positively related to their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. In conclusion, aged bitter melon shows great α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, which may be related to the increased free form of the involved phenolic compounds and Maillard reaction products. This suggests that thermal processing may be a good way to enhance the application of bitter melon for diabetes treatment. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The thermal processing of bitter melon provides an application for diabetes treatment. This study demonstrated that heat-treated bitter melon can lower the blood glucose level; therefore, it can be used as a potential anti-hyperglycemic and functional food.

Mormodica charantia L. fruit and Genistein ameliorates type 2 diabetes in rats by preventing lipid accumulation, insulin resistance and enhancing beta cell function

PURPOSE

The present study was aimed at evaluating the role of Momordica charantia L. fruit and Genistein on beta cell, insulin resistance/sensitivity and lipid profile in type 2 diabetic rats.

METHODS

Thirty-five (35) albino rats were divided into seven (7) groups of 5 rats each comprising of five (5) non-diabetic and thirty (30) diabetic rats. Groups 1 and 2 served as the normal control and diabetic control groups respectively and received distill water, groups 3 and 4 received Mormodica charantia L. at 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg respectively. Groups 5 and 6 received Genistein at 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg respectively while group 7 received Metformin at 500 mg/kg the experiment lasted for four weeks. All the rats were euthanized at the end of the fourth week.

RESULTS

Lipid profile, glucose and insulin levels were determined from the analysis of serum parameters and the histology of the pancreas. A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in blood glucose levels was noticed in rats that received Momordica charantia L. (MC) and genistein when compared with diabetic control rats. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels were also noted in rats that received MC and Genistein when compared with the diabetic control rats. MC and Genistein significantly increased (P < 0.05) serum insulin level compared to the diabetic control rats. MC and Genistein significantly decreased (p < 0.05) homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) level compared with the diabetic control group. Pancreas of rats that received MC and Genistein showed regenerating beta-cells.

CONCLUSION

Momordica charantia L. fruit and Genistein were able to enhance beta cell function and prevent lipid accumulation and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic rats.

The safety and efficacy of Momordica charantia L. in animal models of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic hyperglycemic condition due to progressively impaired glucose regulation. Momordica charantia L. could potentially improve hyperglycemia because its fruit extracts can alleviate insulin resistance, beta-cell dysfunction, and increase serum insulin level. We evaluated the effect of M. charantia L. in comparison with a vehicle on glycemic control in animal models of type 2 diabetes mellitus. MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were searched without language restriction through April 2019. About 66 studies involving 1861 animals that examined the effect of M. charantia L. on type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. Fruits and seed extracts reduced fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c in comparison to vehicle control: (42 studies, 815 animals; SMD, -6.86 [95% CI; -7.95, -5.77], 3 studies, 59 animals; SMD; -7.76 [95% CI; -12.50, -3.01]) respectively. Also, the extracts have hepato-renal protective effects at varying doses and duration of administration. Despite the observed significant glycemic control effect, poor methodological quality calls for future researches to focus on standardizing extract based on chemical markers and adopt measures to improve the quality of preclinical studies such as sample size calculation, randomization, and blinding.

Indian Traditional medicinal plants as a source of potent Anti-diabetic agents: A Review

Objective

The present review aims to provide an overview of traditional medicinal plants known to be of anti-diabetic potential.

Methods

A literature search was conducted using the scientific databases including PubMed, EMBASE and google scholar and a total of fifty herbs have been described and their possible mechanism of anti-diabetic action has been mentioned. Among them, in-depth discussion on five most potent anti-diabetic herbs has been provided with respect to their mechanism of action, in-vivo studies and clinical efficacies.

Results

The present review has highlighted the usefulness of the herbal source for the treatment and management of diabetes mellitus. With the help of previous literature published on In-vivo animal studies and human clinical studies; the effectiveness of Gymnema sylvestre, Momordica charantia, Trigonella foenum graecum, Tinospora cordifolia and Curcuma longa in the treatment and management of Diabetes has been proved.

Conclusion

Based on this review it can be concluded that herbs can serve as more efficient, safer, and cost-effective adjuvant therapy in the management and treatment of diabetes. Further investigations mainly focusing on the isolation of phytocompounds from these herbs can lead to the discovery of newer antidiabetic agents.

Antioxidant Effects and Mechanisms of Medicinal Plants and Their Bioactive Compounds for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: An Updated Review

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that majorly affects the endocrine gland, and it is symbolized by hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance owing to deficient insulin secretory responses and beta cell dysfunction. This ailment affects as many as 451 million people worldwide, and it is also one of the leading causes of death. In spite of the immense advances made in the development of orthodox antidiabetic drugs, these drugs are often considered not successful for the management and treatment of T2DM due to the myriad side effects associated with them. Thus, the exploration of medicinal herbs and natural products as therapeutic sources for the treatment of T2DM is promoted because they have little or no side effects. Bioactive molecules isolated from natural sources have been proven to lower blood glucose levels via regulating one or more of the following mechanisms: improvement of beta cell function, insulin resistance, glucose (re)absorption, and glucagon-like peptide-1 homeostasis. In recent times, the mechanisms of action of different bioactive molecules with antidiabetic properties and phytochemistry are gaining a lot of attention in the area of drug discovery. This review article presents an update of the findings from clinical research into medicinal plant therapy for T2DM.

Effect of Myristica fragrans extract on total body composition in cafeteria diet induced obese rats

It is of interest to evaluate the effect of Myristica fragrans on body composition of cafeteria diet induced obese rats. Thirty rats (150-160g) grouped into 5 and each group contains 6 rats. Group-1 was normal control and 2-5 groups were fed with cafeteria diet for 15 weeks to induce obesity. From 16th week to 25th week test drugs were given as mentioned in the experimental protocol. Body weight, BMI, changes in body composition was measured by TOBEC, adipose tissue weights, organ weights, abdominal circumference were measured according to standard methods. After 70days of treatment with MFE 200mg/kg, 400mg/kg Body weight reduced by 9.29%, 12.87% respectively. BMI was also decreased. Abdominal circumference, total fat percentage, organ weights, was substantially reduced. At 400mg/kg of MFE has shown maximum potentiality when compared with 200mg/kg. Orlistat 50mg was used as standard drug. Tetrahydrofuran, flavonoids, saponins, present in Myristica fragrans has shown anti obesity activity. Our findings explain the potentiality of phytochemicals as a potent anti obesity agent, provide scientific evidence for its traditional use and suggest the possible mechanism of action.

GLP-I secretion in healthy and diabetic Wistar rats in response to aqueous extract of Momordica charantia

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is one of the major global health disorders increasing at an alarming rate in both developed and developing countries. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of aqueous extract of Momordica charantia (AEMC) on fasting blood glucose (FBG), tissue glycogen, glycosylated haemoglobin, plasma concentrations of insulin and GLP-1 hormone (glucagon-like peptide 1) in healthy and diabetic wistar rats.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats (both normal and diabetic) were treated with AEMC by gavaging (300 mg/kg body wt/day for 28 days).

RESULTS

AEMC was found to increase tissue glycogen, serum insulin and GLP-1 non-significantly (P > 0.05) in normal, significantly (P < 0.01) in diabetic Wistar rats, whereas decrease in FBG and Glycosylated haemoglobin non-significantly (P > 0.05) in normal, significantly (P < 0.01) in diabetic Wistar rats. The elevation of GLP-1 level in normal and diabetic treated groups may be due to the L-cell regeneration and proliferation by binding with L-cell receptors and makes a conformational change, resulting in the activation of a series of signal transducers. The polar molecules of M. charantia also depolarize the L-cell through elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration and which in turn releases GLP-1. GLP-1 in turn elevates beta-cell proliferation and insulin secretion.

CONCLUSION

The findings tend to provide a possible explanation for the hypoglycemic action of M. charantia fruit extracts as alternative nutritional therapy in the management and treatment of diabetes.

Chemical and Biological Aspects of Extracts from Medicinal Plants with Antidiabetic Effects

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and a leading cause of death in western countries. Despite advancements in the clinical management of the disease, it is not possible to control the late complications of diabetes. The main characteristic feature of diabetes is hyperglycemia, which reflects the deterioration in the use of glucose due to a faulty or poor response to insulin secretion. Alloxan and streptozotocin (STZ) are the chemical tools that are most commonly used to study the disease in rodents. Many plant species have been used in ethnopharmacology or to treat experimentally symptoms of this disease. When evaluated pharmacologically, most of the plants employed as antidiabetic substances have been shown to exhibit hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic activities, and to contain chemical constituents that may be used as new antidiabetic agents. There are many substances extracted from plants that offer antidiabetic potential, whereas others may result in hypoglycemia as a side effect due to their toxicity, particularly their hepatotoxicity. In this article we present an updated overview of the studies on extracts from medicinal plants, relating the mechanisms of action by which these substances act and the natural principles of antidiabetic activity.

Bitter melon: a panacea for inflammation and cancer

Nature is a rich source of medicinal plants and their products that are useful for treatment of various diseases and disorders. Momordica charantia, commonly known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, is one of such plants known for its biological activities used in traditional system of medicines. This plant is cultivated in all over the world, including tropical areas of Asia, Amazon, east Africa, and the Caribbean and used as a vegetable as well as folk medicine. All parts of the plant, including the fruit, are commonly consumed and cooked with different vegetables, stir-fried, stuffed or used in small quantities in soups or beans to give a slightly bitter flavor and taste. The plant is reported to possess anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, anti-obesity, and immunomodulatory activities. The plant extract inhibits cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy and inhibiting cancer stem cells. The plant is rich in bioactive chemical constituents like cucurbitane type triterpenoids, triterpene glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, fatty acids, and proteins. Some of the isolated compounds (Kuguacin J, Karaviloside XI, Kuguaglycoside C, Momordicoside Q-U, Charantin, α-eleostearic acid) and proteins (α-Momorcharin, RNase MC2, MAP30) possess potent biological activity. In the present review, we are summarizing the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities of Momordica charantia along with a short account of important chemical constituents, providing a basis for establishing detail biological activities of the plant and developing novel drug molecules based on the active chemical constituents.

Evaluation of Phenolic Content Variability along with Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Cytotoxic Potential of Selected Traditional Medicinal Plants from India

Plants have been used since ancient times as an important source of biologically active substances. The aim of the present study was to investigate the phytochemical constituents (flavonoids and phenolics), antioxidant potential, cytotoxicity against HepG2 (human hepato carcinoma) cancer cell lines, and the antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract of selected traditional medicinal plants collected from Mizoram, India. A number of phenolic compounds were detected using HPLC-DAD-ESI-TOF-MS, mainly Luteolin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Gallic Acid, Quercetin and Rutin, some of which have been described for the first time in the selected plants. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents showed high variation ranging from 4.44 to 181.91 μg of Gallic Acid equivalent per milligram DW (GAE/mg DW) and 3.17 to 102.2 μg of Quercetin/mg, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was determined by DPPH (IC50 values ranges from 34.22 to 131.4 μg/mL), ABTS (IC50 values ranges from 24.08 to 513.4 μg/mL), and reducing power assays. Antimicrobial activity was assayed against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and yeast (Candida albicans) demonstrating that the methanol extracts of some plants were efficacious antimicrobial agents. Additionally, cytotoxicity was assessed on human hepato carcinoma (HepG2) cancer cell lines and found that the extracts of Albizia lebbeck, Dillenia indica, and Bombax ceiba significantly decreased the cell viability at low concentrations with IC50 values of 24.03, 25.09, and 29.66 μg/mL, respectively. This is the first report of detection of phenolic compounds along with antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic potential of selected medicinal plants from India, which indicates that these plants might be valuable source for human and animal health.

The effect of Momordica charantia intake on the estrogen receptors ESRα/ESRβ gene levels and apoptosis on uterine tissue in ovariectomy rats

Estrogen or combinational hormone therapy can protect to menopausal symptoms but exogenous estrogen therapy has some potential risks which in turns lead to the appearance of various diseases. In recent years plants with high phytoestrogen content are recommended as therapeutic agents for postmenopausal hormonal treatment. In this research, we investigated the effects of Momordica charantia (MC) on the estrogen production and E2 as well as anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic role on the ovariectomy rat model. The rats were ovariectomized and fed on 2 g/kg of fruit extra of MC for 30 days by gavage. 17-β estradiol (E2) and 8-OHdG levels in serum, markers of oxidative damage of ROS and ESRα, ESRβ and NF-kB gene levels were measured in uterus horn tissue. Caspase-3, caspase-9, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, Bcl-2 and Nf-kB proteins expression were assessed by western blotting. Structural changes in tissue were examined with H&E staining. MC administration also stimulated the E2 production and ESRα/ESRβ gene levels and the inhibited oxidative damage. Furthermore, MC treatment enhanced anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory process and tissue regeneration. Data herein support that MC directly regulates uterine estrogen response and may serve as a new phytoestrogenic substance for the treatment of post-menopausal symptoms.