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Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) and Metabolic support: evidence and sources
inferred from antidiabetic action
For educational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants, especially alongside prescribed medication, during pregnancy, or for a serious condition.
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Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious chronic metabolic disease that is associated with hyperglycemia and several complications including cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. DM is caused by high levels of blood sugar in the body associated with the disruption of insulin metabolism and homeostasis. Over time, DM can induce life-threatening health problems such as blindness, heart disease, kidney damage, and stroke. Although the cure of DM has improved over the past decades, its morbidity and mortality rates remain high. Hence, new therapeutic strategies are needed to overcome the burden of this disease. One such prevention and treatment strategy that is easily accessible to diabetic patients at low cost is the use of medicinal plants, vitamins, and essential elements. The research objective of this review article is to study DM and explore its treatment modalities based on medicinal plants and vitamins. To achieve our objective, we searched scientific databases of ongoing trials in PubMed Central, Medline databases, and Google Scholar websites. We also searched databases on World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to collect relevant papers. Results of numerous scientific investigations revealed that phytochemicals present in medicinal plants ( Allium sativum , Momordica charantia , Hibiscus sabdariffa L., and Zingiber officinale ) possess anti-hypoglycemic activities and show promise for the prevention and/or control of DM. Results also revealed that intake of vitamins C, D, E, or their combination improves the health of diabetes patients by reducing blood glucose, inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and blood pressure levels. However, very limited studies have addressed the health benefits of medicinal plants and vitamins as chemo-therapeutic/preventive agents for the management of DM. This review paper aims at addressing this knowledge gap by studying DM and highlighting the biomedical significance of the most potent medicinal plants and vitamins with hypoglycemic properties that show a great potential to prevent and/or treat DM.
Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae), commonly known as bitter gourd or bitter melon, is widely cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where its unripe fruits are eaten as a vegetable. Apart from its culinary use, M. charantia has a long history in traditional medicine, serving as stomachic, laxative or anthelmintic, and, most notably, for the treatment of diabetes and its complications. Its antidiabetic properties and its beneficial effects on blood glucose and lipid concentrations have been reported in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies, but the compounds responsible for the observed effects have not yet been adequately described. Early reports were made for charantin, a mixture of two sterol glucosides, and the polypeptide p-insulin, but their low concentrations in the fruits or their limited bioavailability cannot explain the observed therapeutic effects. Still, for many decades the search for more reasonable active principles was omitted. However, in the last years, research more and more focused on the particular cucurbitane-type triterpenoids abundant in the fruits and other parts of the plant. This mini review deals with compounds isolated from the bitter gourd and discusses their bioactivities in conjunction with eventual antidiabetic or adverse effects. Furthermore, methods for the quality control of bitter gourd fruits and preparations will be evaluated for their meaningfulness and their potential use in the standardization of commercial preparations.
2 sources supporting Bitter Melon for Metabolic support. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's antidiabetic (blood-sugar lowering) action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Introduction Momordica charantia (bitter melon) is widely used for its glucose-lowering effects. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of M. charantia as an adjuvant treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Blood glucose levels, lipid profile, and adverse events were investigated after 12 weeks of treatment. Ninety subjects were included in the final analysis for glucose lowering efficacy of bitter melon. Results There were no differences in age, sex, or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels between the bitter melon extract and placebo groups. After treatment with bitter melon extract for 12 weeks, the HbA1c levels of the bitter melon and placebo groups remained unchanged; however, the average fasting glucose level of the bitter melon group decreased (p = 0.014). No serious adverse events were reported during the treatment period. Conclusions Our data showed that bitter melon has effects of glucose lowering in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The pharmacology, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, drug interactions, and place in therapy of bitter melon are described. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is an alternative therapy that has primarily been used for lowering blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes mellitus. Components of bitter melon extract appear to have structural similarities to animal insulin. Antiviral and antineoplastic activities have also been reported in vitro. Four clinical trials found bitter melon juice, fruit, and dried powder to have a moderate hypoglycemic effect. These studies were small and were not randomized or double-blind, however. Reported adverse effects of bitter melon include hypoglycemic coma and convulsions in children, reduced fertility in mice, a favism-like syndrome, increases in gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels in animals, and headaches. Bitter melon may have additive effects when taken with other glucose-lowering agents. Adequately powered, randomized, placebo-controlled trials are needed to properly assess safety and efficacy before bitter melon can be routinely recommended. Bitter melon may have hypoglycemic effects, but data are not sufficient to recommend its use in the absence of careful supervision and monitoring.
The recent trend in infectious diseases and chronic disorders has dramatically increased consumers' interest in functional foods. As a result, the research of bioactive ingredients with potential for nutraceutical and food application has rapidly become a topic of interest. In this optic, the plant Momordica charantia (M. charantia) has recently attracted the most attention owing to its numerous biological properties including anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancers among others. However, the current literature on M. charantia has mainly been concerned with the plant extract while little is known on the specific bioactive compounds responsible for the plant's health benefits. Hence, the present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent research progress on bioactives isolated from M. charantia, focusing on polysaccharides, proteins, and triterpenoids. Thus, this review provides an up-to-date account of the different extraction methods used to isolate M. charantia bioactives. In addition, the structural features and biological properties are presented. Moreover, this review discusses the current and promising applications of M. charantia bioactives with relevance to the nutraceutical and food industries. The information provided in this review will serve as a theoretical basis and practical support for the formulation of products enriched with M. charantia bioactives.
Momordica charantia (bitter lemon) belongs to the cucurbitaceae family which has been extensively used in traditional medicines for the cure of various ailments such as cancer and diabetes. The underlying mechanism of M. charantia to maintain glycemic control was investigated. GLP-1 and DPP-4 gene modulation by M. charantia (5-20% inclusion in rats diet) was investigated in vivo by RT-PCR and possible compounds responsible for diabetic action predicted through in silico approach. Phytochemicalss previously characterized from M. charantia were docked into glucacon like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1r), dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP4) and Takeda-G-protein-receptor-5 (TGR5) predicted using Autodock Vina. The results of the in silico suggests momordicosides D (ligand for TGR5), cucurbitacin (ligand for GLP-1r) and charantin (ligand for DPP-4) as the major antidiabetic compounds in bitter lemon leaf. M. charantia increased the expression of GLP-1 by about 295.7% with concomitant decreased in expression of DPP-4 by 87.2% with 20% inclusion in rat's diet. This study suggests that the mechanism underlying the action of these compounds is through activation of TGR5 and GLP-1 receptor with concurrent inhibition of DPP4. This study confirmed the use of this plant in diabetes management and the possible bioactive compounds responsible for its antidiabetic property are charantin, cucurbitacin and momordicoside D and all belong to the class of saponins.
It has been estimated that up to one-third of patients with diabetes mellitus use some form of complementary and alternative medicine. Momordica charantia (bitter melon) is a popular fruit used for the treatment of diabetes and related conditions amongst the indigenous populations of Asia, South America, India and East Africa. Abundant pre-clinical studies have documented the anti-diabetic and hypoglycaemic effects of M. charantia through various postulated mechanisms. However, clinical trial data with human subjects are limited and flawed by poor study design and low statistical power. The present article reviews the clinical data regarding the anti-diabetic potentials of M. charantia and calls for better-designed clinical trials to further elucidate its possible therapeutic effects.
Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) is a vegetable with pantropical distribution. It contains substances with antidiabetic properties such as charantin, vicine, and polypeptide-p, as well as other unspecific bioactive components such as antioxidants. Metabolic and hypoglycemic effects of bitter gourd extracts have been demonstrated in cell culture, animal, and human studies. The mechanism of action, whether it is via regulation of insulin release or altered glucose metabolism and its insulin-like effect, is still under debate. Adverse effects are also known. Nevertheless, bitter gourd has the potential to become a component of the diet or a dietary supplement for diabetic and prediabetic patients. Well-designed interdisciplinary research by nutritionists, medical doctors, and agronomists is needed before a dietary recommendation can be given and a product brought to the market.
Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia, BG) is both a nutritious and healthy food with a distinctive bitter flavor, and it is also widely exploited in folklore medicine. This review focuses on the efficacies and molecular mechanisms of BG-induced anti-diabetic, anti-HIV, and antitumor activities contributed by over twenty active components. The intent of this review is to provide comprehensive and valuable information for medicinal researchers, drug investigators, clinicians, and even patients with an interest in BG. In conclusion, BG is a cornucopia of health and it deserves in-depth investigations for clinical application in the future.