title: Suppressive effects of wild bitter gourd (Momordica charantia Linn. var. abbreviata ser.) fruit extracts on inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 macrophages.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) is used to treat various diseases including inflammation. A wild species of bitter gourd, Momordica charantia Linn. var. abbreviata ser. (WBG), is considered to be more potent in disease prevention than is bitter gourd; however, little is known about the biological and physiological characteristics of WBG.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of WBG on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the hot water, 95% ethanol, and ethyl acetate extracts of WBG, the ethanol extract showed the greatest reduction of LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and pro-interleukin-1beta expression. LPS-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression was not affected byWBGextracts. Compared with WBG, extracts from bitter gourd showed a lesser inhibition of LPS-induced events. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay further showed that both the hot water and the ethanol extracts of WBG inhibited NF-kappaB activation. Although information is lacking on the bioactive components of WBG, the phenolic compound contents of each extract significantly paralleled its anti-inflammatory ability (r = 0.74, 0.88 and 0.65 for NO, PGE2 and iNOS expression, respectively, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that WBG is beneficial for reducing LPS-induced inflammatory responses by modulating NF-kappaB activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chong-Kuei
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lii
authors.forename: Haw-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Tzu
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Kai-Li
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Liu