科研之友
微信
新浪微博
Facebook
分享链接
摘要
Momordica charantia, commonly known as bitter gourd, has been shown to possess hypoglycemic activity. However, the mechanism of its action is not known. Chemically synthesized D-chiro-inositol (D-CI), the component of insulin mediators, has been demonstrated to have antihyperglycemic effects in rats. In this study, we found that M. charantia fruit contains relatively high levels of D-CI; thus, it may be a source of D-CI for reducing blood glucose concentrations in diabetics. In fed streptozotocin (STZ) rats, a dose of M. charantia fruit extract containing 20 mg of D-CI/kg of body weight markedly reduced blood glucose and plasma insulin after oral administration. A significant effect on oral glucose tolerance was also noted in fasted STZ rats. Findings from this study demonstrate that M. charantia fruit extract is an effective source of D-CI for lowering blood glucose concentrations in rats, and therefore may be useful in the treatment of diabetes.
