Hypoglycemic activity of the fruit of the Momordica charantia in type 2 diabetic mice
2001
Miura, T. (Suzuka Univ. of Medical Science, Mie (Japan)) | Itoh, C. | Iwamoto, N. | Kato, M. | Kawai, M. | Park, S.R. | Suzuki, I.
The antidiabetic activity of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) was investigated in KK-Ay mice, an animal model with type 2 diabetes with hyperinsulinemia. The water extract of the fruit of Momordica charantia L. (MC) reduced the blood glucose of KK-Ay mice 3 weeks after oral administration (p<0.01) and also significantly lowered the serum insulin of KK-Ay mice under similar conditions (p<0.01). However, MC did not affect the blood glucose in normal mice. MC-treated KK-Ay mice blood glucose significantly decreased in an insulin tolerance test. Moreover, the muscle content of facilitative glucose transporter isoform 4 (GLUT4) protein content in the plasma membrane fraction from muscle significantly increased in the orally MC-treated mice when compared with that of the controls (p<0.01). These results suggest that the antidiabetic effect of MC is derived, at least in part, from a decrease in insulin resistance because of the increase of GLUT4 protein content in the plasma membrane of the muscle.
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