title: The effects of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) extracts on serum and liver lipid parameters in hamsters fed cholesterol-free and cholesterol-enriched diets.
abstract: The hypolipidemic effect of dietary methanol fraction (BMMF) extracted from bitter melon (Koimidori variety), at the levels of 0.5% and 1.0%, was examined in male golden Syrian hamsters fed diets supplemented with and without cholesterol. The feeding of BMMF at 0.5% and 1.0% levels in the diets for 4 wk tended to reduce food intake and growth, although there was no difference in food efficiency (weight gain/food intake). An effect of dietary BMMF on serum triglyceride was not seen in hamsters fed diets free of cholesterol, while hypertriglyceridemia induced by dietary cholesterol was significantly lowered in a dose-dependent manner in those fed diets containing the BMMF Serum total cholesterol concentration also tended to decrease in a dose-dependent manner following feeding of increasing amounts of BMMF in the presence and absence of cholesterol in the diet. The effects of dietary BMMF on liver triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were marginal, although dietary cholesterol caused a marked accumulation of these lipid molecules in the liver. These results suggest that the BMMF contains some components that could ameliorate lipid disorders such as hyperlipidemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan.
authors.forename: Gamarallage V K
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Senanayake
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakono
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.forename: Chizuko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yukizaki
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006224:Cricetinae; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D029777:Momordica charantia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol