Momordica charantia maintains normal glucose levels and lipid profiles and prevents oxidative stress in diabetic rats subjected to chronic sucrose load.

Momordica charantia L., commonly known as bitter gourd, is used as a vegetable by the Asian community in Africa. It is frequently used as an antidiabetic herb for the management of the disease in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. The present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of M. charantia on glucose level, lipid profiles, and oxidative stress in diabetic rats subjected to a sucrose load. Five normal rats and 20 diabetic rats (diabetes induced by injecting alloxan monohydrate) were used for the experiment. Diabetic rats were divided into four groups: three experimental groups that received sucrose (4 g/kg of body weight) plus graded doses of M. charantia extract and a diabetic control group that received only sucrose (4 g/kg of body weight). Normal rats were used as the normal control group and received only sucrose (4 kg/kg of body weight). The experiment was run for 30 days, after which rats were bled to assay blood glucose, lipid profiles, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and reduced glutathione. After this, all treatments were terminated. Rats in the normal control group, diabetic control group, and experimental group 3 were subjected to observation for 30 days and were bled on day 31 to assay parameters as stated above. Results indicated that M. charantia maintained the normal glucose levels in all experimental groups, reduced triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein levels, and increased high-density lipoprotein levels. It also improved the antioxidant status, indicated by low levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and normal levels of reduced glutathione. Rats reverted to diabetic conditions and were found to be under oxidative stress after termination of treatment. This study concludes that M. charantia maintains the normal glucose level, lipid profiles, and antioxidant condition in diabetic rats against the sucrose load.