Y. Srivastava et al., ANTIDIABETIC AND ADAPTOGENIC PROPERTIES OF MOMORDICA-CHARANTIA EXTRACT - AN EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL-EVALUATION, PTR. Phytotherapy research, 7(4), 1993, pp. 285-289
The hypoglycaemic properties of Mormodica charantia (bitter gourd) wat
er extract was tested on alloxan diabetic rats experimentally. A fall
of blood sugar after 3 week's treatment with aqueous extract of fruits
of the herb was found to be significant (P<0.01). The aqueous extract
was more effective in diabetes (fall of blood sugar 54% after 3 week'
s therapy) than the powder of the dried fruit (fall 25% nonsignificant
). Hypoglycaemic effects in diabetic patients were found to be highly
significant (p<0.01) at the end of the trial but were cumulative and g
radual, unlike that produced by insulin. Adaptogenic properties are in
dicated by the delay in the appearance of cataracts, the secondary com
plications of diabetes and relief in neurological and other common sym
ptoms even before the hypoglycaemia occurred.