Biomaterial Database

Hypotriglyceridemic and hypocholesterolemic effects of anti-diabetic Momordica charantia (karela) fruit extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. 2001

I Ahmed, and M S Lakhani, and M Gillett, and A John, and H Raza

Departments of Anatomy and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, P.O. Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Momordica charantia (karela) is commonly used as an antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic agent in Asian, Oriental and Latin American countries. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of long term feeding (10 weeks) of M. charantia fruit extract on blood plasma and tissue lipid profiles in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced Type 1 diabetic rats. The results show that there was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in plasma non-esterified cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids in STZ-induced diabetic rats, accompanied by a decrease in high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. A moderate increase in plasma (LPO) product, malonedialdehyde (MDA), and about two-fold increase in kidney LPO was also observed in STZ-induced diabetic rats. The treatment of diabetic rats with M. charantia fruit extract over a 10-week period returned these levels close to normal. In addition, karela juice also exhibited an inhibitory effect on membrane LPO under in vitro conditions. These results suggest that M. charantia fruit extract exhibits hypolipidemic as well as hypoglycemic effects in the STZ-induced diabetic rat.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007004	Hypoglycemic Agents	Substances which lower blood glucose levels.	Antidiabetic,Antidiabetic Agent,Antidiabetic Drug,Antidiabetics,Antihyperglycemic,Antihyperglycemic Agent,Hypoglycemic,Hypoglycemic Agent,Hypoglycemic Drug,Antidiabetic Agents,Antidiabetic Drugs,Antihyperglycemic Agents,Antihyperglycemics,Hypoglycemic Drugs,Hypoglycemic Effect,Hypoglycemic Effects,Hypoglycemics,Agent, Antidiabetic,Agent, Antihyperglycemic,Agent, Hypoglycemic,Agents, Antidiabetic,Agents, Antihyperglycemic,Agents, Hypoglycemic,Drug, Antidiabetic,Drug, Hypoglycemic,Drugs, Antidiabetic,Drugs, Hypoglycemic,Effect, Hypoglycemic,Effects, Hypoglycemic
D007668	Kidney	Body organ that filters blood for the secretion of URINE and that regulates ion concentrations.	Kidneys
D007843	Latin America	The geographic area of Mexico, Central America, continent of South America and the islands of the Caribbean where Spanish or other Romance language is spoken.
D008076	Cholesterol, HDL	Cholesterol which is contained in or bound to high-density lipoproteins (HDL), including CHOLESTEROL ESTERS and free cholesterol.	High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol,Cholesterol, HDL2,Cholesterol, HDL3,HDL Cholesterol,HDL(2) Cholesterol,HDL(3) Cholesterol,HDL2 Cholesterol,HDL3 Cholesterol,alpha-Lipoprotein Cholesterol,Cholesterol, alpha-Lipoprotein,alpha Lipoprotein Cholesterol
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D008315	Malondialdehyde	The dialdehyde of malonic acid.	Malonaldehyde,Propanedial,Malonylaldehyde,Malonyldialdehyde,Sodium Malondialdehyde,Malondialdehyde, Sodium
D008517	Phytotherapy	Use of plants or herbs to treat diseases or to alleviate pain.	Herb Therapy,Herbal Therapy
D010743	Phospholipids	Lipids containing one or more phosphate groups, particularly those derived from either glycerol (phosphoglycerides see GLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPIDS) or sphingosine (SPHINGOLIPIDS). They are polar lipids that are of great importance for the structure and function of cell membranes and are the most abundant of membrane lipids, although not stored in large amounts in the system.	Phosphatides,Phospholipid
D010936	Plant Extracts	Concentrated pharmaceutical preparations of plants obtained by removing active constituents with a suitable solvent, which is evaporated away, and adjusting the residue to a prescribed standard.	Herbal Medicines,Plant Extract,Extract, Plant,Extracts, Plant,Medicines, Herbal