title: Saponins from the traditional medicinal plant Momordica charantia stimulate insulin secretion in vitro.
abstract: The antidiabetic activity of Momordica charantia (L.), Cucurbitaceae, a widely-used treatment for diabetes in a number of traditional medicine systems, was investigated in vitro. Antidiabetic activity has been reported for certain saponins isolated from M. charantia. In this study insulin secretion was measured in MIN6 β-cells incubated with an ethanol extract, saponin-rich fraction, and five purified saponins and cucurbitane triterpenoids from M. charantia, 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al (1), momordicine I (2), momordicine II (3), 3-hydroxycucurbita-5,24-dien-19-al-7,23-di-O-β-glucopyranoside (4), and kuguaglycoside G (5). Treatments were compared to incubation with high glucose (27 mM) and the insulin secretagogue, glipizide (50 μM). At 125 μg/ml, an LC-ToF-MS characterized saponin-rich fraction stimulated insulin secretion significantly more than the DMSO vehicle, p=0.02. At concentrations 10 and 25 μg/ml, compounds 3 and 5 also significantly stimulated insulin secretion as compared to the vehicle, p≤0.007, and p=0.002, respectively. This is the first report of a saponin-rich fraction, and isolated compounds from M. charantia, stimulating insulin secretion in an in vitro, static incubation assay.
authors: Lehman College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
authors: Amy C
authors: AC
authors: Keller
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Ma
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Kavalier
authors: Kan
authors: K
authors: He
authors: Anne-Marie B
authors: AM
authors: Brillantes
authors: Edward J
authors: EJ
authors: Kennelly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D029777:Momordica charantia / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins