Acid-Ethanol Extractable Compounds from Fruits and Seeds of the Bitter Gourd Momordica Charantia: Effects on Lipid Metabolism in Isolated Rat Adipocytes

Fruits and seeds of the bitter gourd Momordica charantia (Family Cucurbitaceae) were extracted with the acidic ethanol. The extract was adjusted to pH 3 and proteins and peptides were precipitated by additon of a copious volume of aceton. The precipitate was dissolved, dialyzed and lyophilized. The resulting material, designated "p-fraction" was tested for antilipolytic and lipogenic activities. Seed "p-fraction" was further chromatographed on fetuin agraose to yield an unadsorbed fraction (F) which could be fractioned by gel filtration on Sephadex G-10 to give an unretarted fraction (F1) and a retarted function (F2). Fruit "p-fraction" exhibited antilipolytic activity in hamster adipocytes and stimulated 3H-glucose incorporation into lipids, F1, a saponin containing fraction, inhibited both lipolysis and 3H-glucose incorporation into lipids. F2 enhance 3H-glucose corporation into lipid. The results are indicavie of the presence of compounds with insulinomimetic activities in M. charantia fruits and seeds.