• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: Momordica charantia (MC) have been used in various parts of the world to treat diabetes. Despite the highest effects of phytochemicals than any other part of the plant, the main components of seed of MC grown in Korea and their properties have not been studied extensively. METHODS AND RESULTS: The seeds of MC were extracted into five different polarity solvents: 30%, 50%, 70%, 95% ethanol and distilled water. The 95% ethanol extract showed the most potent inhibition ($IC_{50}=88.7{\mu}g/mL$) against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase. To investigate the compounds responsible for this effect, activity guided fractionation of MC seeds by chromatography yielded two phytochemicals which were confirmed as vicine (1) and ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) based on their NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopic data. Among them, ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) possessed potent ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activities with $IC_{50}$ values from $32.4{\mu}g/mL$. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the results from this present study strongly suggest that both extract and ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) have potent ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) as the most active ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor was proven to be present in high quantities in the MC seeds by a HPLC chromatogram.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.143-152
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• 2022

We investigated the serum cholesterol and visceral fat lowering effects of Momordica charanatia (MC) and Withania somnifera (WS) extracts in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Combination of fermented MC and WS extracts (FMCWS) as well as that of non-fermented extracts (MCWS) were orally administered to HFD-induced obese mice along with the HFD supplementation for 8 weeks. During the experiment, body weight, food intake, and levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol were analyzed. Body weight and the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly increased in the HFD-fed mice compared with the normal control (NC) group. However, supplementation of the extracts showed a tendency to reduce body weight gain and suppressed the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride with the increment of HDL-cholesterol levels. Abdominal fat weight was significantly increased in the HFD group, and the size of adipocytes within the epididymal adipose tissue was markedly expanded compared with the NC group. However, in the FMCWS and MCWS groups, the abdominal fat weight was significantly reduced and the sizes of the adipocytes were noticeably diminished compared with those of the HFD-fed mice. Moreover, the deposition of giant vesicular fat cells observed in the liver tissue of the HFD group was prominently reduced in these groups. These results indicate that the combination of extracts from MC and WS tends to have potent synergic effects in reducing body weight gain as well as significantly lowering the visceral fat and the serum lipid levels, and thus improving anti-obesity efficacy in HFD-induced obese mice.