Influence of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) on growth and blood constituents in albino rats.
Feeding of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) at 0.02, 0.1 and 0.5% (dry weight) levels in a semi-synthetic diet for a period of 8 weeks did not have any adverse influence on the food intake, growth and organ weights of normal adult rats. The haematological parameters of these experimental rats were also normal. Serum cholesterol levels of the rats receiving 0.5% bitter gourd were significantly lower than those of the control rats. There was no hypoglycaemic effect of bitter gourd in these normoglycaemic rats.
Department of Food Chemistry, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India.
K
K
Platel
K S
KS
Shurpalekar
K
K
Srinivasan
D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010945:Plants, Edible; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar / Q000097:blood* / Q000254:growth & development*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol