Splenic Elemental Composition of Breast Cancer-Suffering Rats Supplemented with Pomegranate Seed Oil and Bitter Melon Extract.

The aim of this study was to investigate how dietary modifications with pomegranate seed oil (PSO) and bitter melon aqueous extract (BME) affect mineral content in the spleen of rats both under normal physiological conditions and with coexisting mammary tumorigenesis. The diet of Sprague-Dawley female rats was supplemented either with PSO or with BME, or with a combination for 21 weeks. A chemical carcinogen (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene) was applied intragastrically to induce mammary tumors. In the spleen of rats, the selected elements were determined with a quadrupole mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma ionization (ICP-MS). ANOVA was used to evaluate differences in elemental composition among experimental groups. Multivariate statistical methods were used to discover whether some subtle dependencies exist between experimental factors and thus influence the element content. Experimental factors affected the splenic levels of macroelements, except for potassium. Both diet modification and the cancerogenic process resulted in significant changes in the content of Fe, Se, Co, Cr, Ni, Al, Sr, Pb, Cd, B, and Tl in rat spleen. Chemometric analysis revealed the greatest impact of the ongoing carcinogenic process on the mineral composition of the spleen. The obtained results may contribute to a better understanding of peripheral immune organ functioning, especially during the neoplastic process, and thus may help develop anticancer prevention and treatment strategies.

Pharmacotherapeutic Potential of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) in Age-related Neurological Diseases.

Due to the growth of the elderly population, age-related neurological disorders are an increasing problem. Aging begins very gradually and later leads to several neurological issues such as lower neurotransmitter levels, oxidative stress, neuronal inflammation, and continual neuronal loss. These changes might contribute to brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia or mild cognitive impairment, and epilepsy and glioma, and can also aggravate these disorders if they were previously present. Momordica charantia (bitter gourd), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It is used for diabetes and known for its hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects. In this review, we discuss the pharmaceutical effects of M. charantia on age-related neurological disorders. We searched several databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, using MeSH terms. We searched articles published up until 2022 regardless of publication language. M. charantia is rich in luteolin, which increases acetylcholine in neurons by binding to enzymes in acetylcholine metabolism pathways, including butyrylcholinesterase and acetylcholinesterase. This binding inhibits the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein by restraining its kinase enzyme. Furthermore, this substance can lower serum cholesterol and has multi-target activity in AD and memory loss. M. charantia can also improve memory by decreasing tau protein and it also has potent antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects. This review highlights that M. charantia has effects on many age-related neurological disorders, and can be a cost-effective supplement with minimal side effects.

Polyphenolic profile and antioxidant properties of Momordica charantia L. 'Enaja' cultivar grown in Romania.

This is the first study describing phenolics of Momordica charantia L. 'Enaja' cultivar (bitter melon) produced in Romania. Total polyphenol content, total tannin content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of bitter melon stems and leaves, young fruits, and ripe fruits grown in Romania were analysed, along with fruits imported from India. The UPLC-DAD analysis led to the identification of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, luteolin-3',7-di-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside and vanillic acid. (-)-Epicatechin (859 µg/g) and (+)-catechin (1677 µg/g) were the most abundant compounds in stems and leaves, while in the ripe fruits, luteolin-7-O-glucoside (310 µg/g) was the main phenolic. Stems and leaves were the most active for capturing free DPPH radicals (IC50 = 216.9 ± 11.91 µg/ml); the scavenging activity strongly correlated with the flavonoid content (r = 0.8806, r2 = 0.7754). Momordica charantia fruits from Romania, both young and ripe, are a source of polyphenols as valuable as those imported from India.

Combining ability analysis in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L. ) for potential quality improvement / Análise de capacidade de combinação em cabaça-amarga (Momordica charantia L. ) para melhoria potencial da qualidade

Abstract Combining ability analysis provides useful information for the selection of parents, also information regarding the nature and magnitude of involved gene actions. Crops improvement involves strategies for enhancing yield potentiality and quality components. Targeting the improvement of respective characters in bitter gourd, combining ability and genetic parameters for 19 characters were estimated from a 6×6 full diallel analysis technique. The results revealed that the variances due to general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were highly significant for most of the important characters. It indicated the importance of both additive and non-additive gene actions. GCA variances were higher in magnitude than SCA variances for all the characters studied indicating the predominance of the additive gene effects in their inheritance. The parent P2 (BG 009) appeared as the best general combiner for earliness; P1 (BG 006) for number of fruits, average single fruit weight and fruit yield; P4 (BG 027) for node number of first female flower and days to seed fruit maturity; P3 (BG 011) for fruit length and thickness of the fruit flesh; P5 (BG 033) for 100-seed weight; and P6 for number of nodes per main vine. The SCA effect as well as reciprocal effect was also significant for most of the important characters in different crosses.

Resumo A análise da capacidade de combinação fornece informações úteis para a seleção dos pais, também informações sobre a natureza e a magnitude das ações dos genes envolvidos. A melhoria das safras envolve estratégias para aumentar a potencialidade da produção e os componentes de qualidade. Visando ao aprimoramento dos respectivos caracteres em cabaça-amarga, capacidade de combinação e parâmetros genéticos para 19 caracteres, foram estimados a partir de uma técnica de análise dialélica completa 6 × 6. Os resultados revelaram que as variâncias, devido à capacidade geral de combinação (GCA) e capacidade específica de combinação (SCA), foram altamente significativas para a maioria dos caracteres importantes. Indicou a importância das ações gênicas aditivas e não aditivas. As variâncias GCA foram maiores em magnitude do que as variâncias SCA para todos os caracteres estudados, indicando a predominância dos efeitos do gene aditivo em sua herança. O pai P2 (BG 009) apareceu como o melhor combinador geral para o início; P1 (BG 006) para número de frutos, peso médio de um único fruto e produção de frutos; P4 (BG 027) para número de nó da primeira flor fêmea e dias para a maturidade do fruto da semente; P3 (BG 011) para comprimento do fruto e espessura da polpa do fruto; P5 (BG 033) para peso de 100 sementes; e P6 para o número de nós por videira principal. O efeito SCA, bem como o efeito recíproco, também foi significativo para a maioria dos personagens importantes em cruzamentos diferentes.

Integrated Secondary Metabolomic and Antioxidant Ability Analysis Reveals the Accumulation Patterns of Metabolites in Momordica charantia L. of Different Cultivars.

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) contains rich bioactive ingredients and secondary metabolites; hence, it has been used as medicine and food product. This study systematically quantified the nutrient contents, the total content of phenolic acids (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and triterpenoids (TTC) in seven different cultivars of bitter gourd. This study also estimated the organic acid content and antioxidative capacity of different cultivars of bitter gourd. Although the TPC, TFC, TTC, organic acid content, and antioxidative activity differed significantly among different cultivars of bitter gourd, significant correlations were also observed in the obtained data. In the metabolomics analysis, 370 secondary metabolites were identified in seven cultivars of bitter gourd; flavonoids and phenolic acids were significantly more. Differentially accumulated metabolites identified in this study were mainly associated with secondary metabolic pathways, including pathways of flavonoid, flavonol, isoflavonoid, flavone, folate, and phenylpropanoid biosyntheses. A number of metabolites (n = 27) were significantly correlated (positive or negative) with antioxidative capacity (r ≥ 0.7 and p < 0.05). The outcomes suggest that bitter gourd contains a plethora of bioactive compounds; hence, bitter gourd may potentially be applied in developing novel molecules of medicinal importance.

Investigation of the effect of addition of Momordica charantia to glibenclamide on amelioration of endothelial dysfunction in diabetic rats by activating Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5.

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is a significant risk factor of blood vessel related diseases of diabetes and this study evaluate the effect of adding Momordica charantia (Mc) to glibenclamide (GLB) on ED markers in diabetic rats. Streptozotocin (STZ-40mg/kg b. w.) induced diabetic rats were randomly put into 3 groups with 10 rats/group; diabetic control [DC] group, glibenclamide treated group (GLB -2.5mg/kg) and GLB-Mc treated group (2.5mg/kg + 400mg/kg). Serum glucose was measured weekly for eight weeks whereas insulin, sVCAM-1, vWF-Ag and interleukin-6 [IL-6] were measured at week 0 and week 8. Luciferase assay was performed to determine luminescence. At week 8, GLB and GLB-Mc groups revealed improvements in blood glucose and insulin concentrations (P≤0.05) when compared to corresponding baseline values with GLB-Mc group showing slightly greater improvements. GLB-M c group also revealed improvement (P≤0.05) in vWF-Ag, sVCAM-1 and IL-6 concentrations but was non-significant in GLB group when compared to corresponding baseline values. Comparison between GLB and GLB-Mc group showed significantly high concentration of sVCAM-1 in GLB group (P≤0.05) due to its minimal effect on TGR5 activation. We conclude that adding M. charantia to GLB may be a useful choice for modulating diabetes induced ED due to its stimulatory effect on TGR5 receptors.

Momordica charantia-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Provide Antioxidant Protection in Ulcerative Colitis.

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles are functional nanovesicles that have significant applications in both disease prevention and treatment, as well as for use as drug carriers. Momordica charantia is a widely consumed food that has both medicinal and nutritional properties and has shown intervention in diabetes and inflammation caused by oxidative damage. In this study, Momordica charantia-derived extracellular vesicles (MCEVs) were extracted and demonstrated to have excellent antioxidant activity by characterization, lipid composition analysis, protein domain analysis, and in vitro antioxidant measurement. In addition, in vivo studies indicated that the MCEVs could restore ulcerative colitis by regulating oxidation and inflammatory factors. Therefore, the antioxidant properties of MCEVs may be important in protecting the colon from inflammation, which provides new insights into the application of MCEVs as drugs or vectors for intervention in ulcerative colitis.

Coumarin regulated redox homeostasis to facilitate phytoremediation of saline and alkaline soils by bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.).

The use of coumarin (COU) to alleviate the phytotoxic effects of salinity has great potential in improving the phytoremediation of saline and alkaline soils. 30-day bitter gourd plants were exposed to 15 dS m‒1 salinity of neutral (NaCl and Na2SO4) and alkaline (Na2CO3 and NaHCO3) salts. 60-day plants were harvested to record different growth, physiological and biochemical attributes. Salinity significantly subsided plant growth, chlorophyll, photosynthesis, and nutrient acquisition. Salinity induced notable oxidative damage in plants that displayed higher relative membrane permeability (RMP), accumulated elevated ROS (H2O2 and O2•‒) and MDA levels alongside intensified lipoxygenase (LOX) activity. The production of cytotoxic methylglyoxal was also significantly higher in plants under salinity. COU seed priming (50, 100 and 150 mg L‒1) promoted plant growth by circumventing oxidative injury and intensifying oxidative defense. Further, COU maintained the intricate balance between reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione to diminish ion excess toxicity, thereby facilitating the phytoremediation of saline soils. The lower doses of COU promoted methylglyoxal and ROS detoxification systems that, in turn, lessened the phytotoxic effects of salinity. COU restored ions homeostasis by augmenting osmotic adjustment in plants under salinity.

The ribosome-inactivating proteins MAP30 and Momordin inhibit SARS-CoV-2.

The continuing emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has highlighted the need to identify additional points for viral inhibition. Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs), such as MAP30 and Momordin which are derived from bitter melon (Momordica charantia), have been found to inhibit a broad range of viruses. MAP30 has been shown to potently inhibit HIV-1 with minimal cytotoxicity. Here we show that MAP30 and Momordin potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in A549 human lung cells (IC50 ~ 0.2 µM) with little concomitant cytotoxicity (CC50 ~ 2 µM). Both viral inhibition and cytotoxicity remain unaltered by appending a C-terminal Tat cell-penetration peptide to either protein. Mutation of tyrosine 70, a key residue in the active site of MAP30, to alanine completely abrogates both viral inhibition and cytotoxicity, indicating the involvement of its RNA N-glycosylase activity. Mutation of lysine 171 and lysine 215, residues corresponding to those in Ricin which when mutated prevented ribosome binding and inactivation, to alanine in MAP30 decreased cytotoxicity (CC50 ~ 10 µM) but also the viral inhibition (IC50 ~ 1 µM). Unlike with HIV-1, neither Dexamethasone nor Indomethacin exhibited synergy with MAP30 in the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2. From a structural comparison of the two proteins, one can explain their similar activities despite differences in both their active-sites and ribosome-binding regions. We also note points on the viral genome for potential inhibition by these proteins.

The Role of Bitter Melon in Breast and Gynecological Cancer Prevention and Therapy.

Phytotherapy has long represented a widely accepted treatment alternative to conventional therapy. Bitter melon is a vine with potent antitumor effects against numerous cancer entities. To date, no review article has, however, been published on the role of bitter melon in breast and gynecological cancer prevention and therapy. The current work constitutes the most comprehensive, up-to-date review of the literature, which highlights the promising anticancer effects of bitter melon on breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer cells and discusses future research recommendations.

Seedling nanopriming with selenium-chitosan nanoparticles mitigates the adverse effects of salt stress by inducing multiple defence pathways in bitter melon plants.

Advances in the nanotechnology fields provided crucial applications in plant sciences, contributing to the plant performance and health under stress and stress-free conditions. Amid the applications, selenium (Se), chitosan and their conjugated forms as nanoparticles (Se-CS NPs) have been revealed to have potential of alleviating the harmful effects of the stress on several crops and subsequently enhancing the growth and productivity. The present study was addressed to assay the potential effects of Se-CS NPs in reversing or buffering the harmful effects of salt stress on growth, photosynthesis, nutrient concentration, antioxidant system and defence transcript levels in bitter melon )Momordica charantia(. In addition, some secondary metabolite-related genes were explicitly examined. In this regard, the transcriptional levels of WRKY1, SOS1, PM H+-ATPase, SKOR, Mc5PTase7, SOAR1, MAP30, α-MMC, polypeptide-P and PAL were quantified. Our results demonstrated that Se-CS NPs increased growth parameters, photosynthesis parameters (SPAD, Fv/Fm, Y(II)), antioxidant enzymatic activity (POD, SOD, CAT) and nutrient homeostasis (Na+/K+, Ca2+, and Cl-) and induced the expression of genes in bitter melon plants under salt stress (p ≤ 0.05). Therefore, applying Se-CS NPs might be a simple and effective way of improving crop plants' overall health and yield under salt stress conditions.

The Effects of Momordica charantia on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Alzheimer's Disease.

T2DM is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance. It is recognized as one of the most common metabolic disorders and its prevalence continues to raise major concerns in healthcare globally. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a gradual neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by the chronic loss of cognitive and behavioral function. Recent research suggests a link between the two diseases. Considering the shared characteristics of both diseases, common therapeutic and preventive agents are effective. Certain bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals found in vegetables and fruits can have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that allow for preventative or potential treatment options for T2DM and AD. Recently, it has been estimated that up to one-third of patients with diabetes use some form of complementary and alternative medicine. Increasing evidence from cell or animal models suggests that bioactive compounds may have a direct effect on reducing hyperglycemia, amplifying insulin secretion, and blocking the formation of amyloid plaques. One plant that has received substantial recognition for its numerous bioactive properties is Momordica charantia (M. charantia), otherwise known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, karela, and balsam pear. M. charantia is utilized for its glucose-lowering effects and is often used as a treatment for diabetes and related metabolic conditions amongst the indigenous populations of Asia, South America, India, and East Africa. Several pre-clinical studies have documented the beneficial effects of M. charantia through various postulated mechanisms. Throughout this review, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the bioactive components of M. charantia will be highlighted. More studies will be necessary to establish the clinical efficacy of the bioactive compounds within M. charantia to effectively determine its pertinence in the treatment of metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, such as T2DM and AD.

Anticancer Activity of Bitter Melon-Derived Vesicles Extract against Breast Cancer.

Due to their low immunogenicity, high biocompatibility and ready availability in large quantities, plant-derived vesicles extracts have attracted considerable interest as a novel nanomaterial in tumor therapy. Bitter melon, a medicinal and edible plant, has been reported to exhibit excellent antitumor effects. It is well-documented that breast cancer gravely endangers women's health, and more effective therapeutic agents must be urgently explored. Therefore, we investigated whether bitter melon-derived vesicles extract (BMVE) has antitumor activity against breast cancer. Ultracentrifugation was used to isolate BMVE with a typical "cup-shaped" structure and an average size of approximately 147 nm from bitter melon juice. The experimental outcomes indicate that 4T1 breast cancer cells could efficiently internalize BMVE, which shows apparent anti-proliferative and migration-inhibiting effects. In addition, BMVE also possesses apoptosis-inducing effects on breast cancer cells, which were achieved by stimulating the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and disrupting mitochondrial function. Furthermore, BMVE could dramatically inhibit tumor growth in vivo with negligible adverse effects. In conclusion, BMVE exhibits a pronounced antitumor effect on 4T1 breast cancer cells, which has great potential for use in tumor therapy.

Interaction of sugar stabilised silver nanoparticles with Momordica charantia seed lectin, a type II ribosome inactivating protein.

Sugar-stabilised nanomaterials have received a lot of attention in cancer therapy in recent years due to their pronounced application as specific targeting agents and maximizing their therapeutic potential while bypassing off-target effects. Lectins, the carbohydrate-binding proteins, are capable of binding to receptors present on the target cell/tissue and interact with transformed glycans better than normal cells. Besides some of the lectins exhibit anticancer activity. Conjugating sugar-stabilised NPs with lectins there for is expected to multiply the potential for the early diagnosis of cancer cells and the specific release of drugs into the tumor site. Because of the prospective applications of lectin-sugar-stabilised nanoparticle conjugates, it is important to understand their molecular interaction and physicochemical properties. Momordica charantia Seed Lectin (MCL) is a type II RIP and has been known as an anti-tumor agent. Investigation of the interaction between sugar-stabilised silver nanoparticles and MCL has been performed by fluorescence spectroscopy to explore the possibility of creating an effective biocompatible drug delivery system against cancer cells. In this regard interaction between lectin and NPs should be well-preserved, while recognizing the specific cell surface sugar. Therefore experiments were carried out in the presence and absence of specific sugar galactose. Protein intrinsic fluorescence emission is quenched at ~ 20% at saturation during the interaction without any significant shift in fluorescence emission maximum. Binding experiments reveal a good affinity. Tetrameric MCL binds to a single nanoparticle. Stern-Volmer analysis of the quenching data suggests that the interaction is via static quenching leading to complex formation. Hemagglutination experiments together with interaction studies in the presence of specific sugar show that the sugar-binding site of the lectin is distinct from the nanoparticle-binding site and cell recognition is very much intact even after binding to AgNPs. Our results propose the possibility of developing MCL-silver nanoparticle conjugate with high stability and multiple properties in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Accumulation of Antioxidative Phenolics and Carotenoids Using Thermal Processing in Different Stages of Momordica charantia Fruit.

The bitter taste of M. charantia fruit limits its consumption, although the health benefits are well known. The thermal drying process is considered as an alternative method to reduce the bitterness. However, processing studies have rarely investigated physiochemical changes in fruit stages. The antioxidant activities and physiochemical properties of various fruit stages were investigated using different thermal treatments. The color of the thermally treated fruit varied depending on the temperature. When heat-treated for 3 days, the samples from the 30 °C and 90 °C treatments turned brown, while the color of the 60 °C sample did not change significantly. The antioxidant activities were increased in the thermally processed samples in a temperature-dependent manner, with an increase in phenolic compounds. In the 90 °C samples, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity presented a 6.8-fold higher level than that of nonthermal treatment in mature yellow fruit (S3), whereas the activity showed about a 3.1-fold higher level in immature green (S1) and mature green (S2) fruits. Regardless of the stages, the carotenoid content tended to decrease with increasing temperature. In terms of antioxidant activities, these results suggested that mature yellow fruit is better for consumption using thermal processing.

Effects of dietary wild bitter melon (Momordica charantia var. abbreviate Ser.) extract on glucose and lipid metabolism in HFD/STZ-induced type 2 diabetic rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Plant-based extracts to interfere with the onset of diabetes may be a promising approach towards type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) is popularly consumed as an edible and medicinal resource with hypoglycemic effect in China. Wild bitter gourd (Momordica Charantia var. abbreviata Ser.) is a variant of bitter gourd, but there are relatively few studies on it. AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of the experiment is to first screen out the most effective extraction part of Momordica charantia L. and Momordica Charantia var. abbreviata Ser. through the hypoglycemic activity experiment in vitro, and by using a high-fat and high-sugar diet with STZ-induced diabetic rat model in vivo to explore the possible mechanism of action against diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study first performed α-glucosidase, PTP1B and lipase activities inhibition experiments on the alcohol and water extracts of Momordica charantia L. and Momordica Charantia var. abbreviata Ser. Sprague Dawley rats were either given normal feed or a high sugar and fat diet for four weeks, followed STZ (25 mg/kg, via i. p.) was given. Rats with fasting blood glucose ≥11.1 mmol/l after one week were deemed to be diabetic, treatments were administered for four weeks, and then blood samples were used to evaluate hematological and biochemical indicators, and liver was removed for post-analysis. The expression levels of p-AMPK, AMPK, p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, AKT, p-GSK3ß, GSK3ß, p-IRS-1, IRS-1, GLUT2 were determined by Western blot. At the same time, the chemical components was identified by liquid-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Data showed that the ethanol extract of wild bitter gourd (WBGE) had the best ability to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism in vitro. Therefore, we further investigated the antidiabetic effects of oral consumption of WBGE on high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2DM in SD rats. WBGE effectively reduced blood glucose and lipid levels, alleviated glucose intolerance and insulin resistant. Moreover, WBGE consumption could also inhibited oxidant responses and inflammatory damage. Mechanism studies have shown that WBGE may act by regulating AMPK/PI3K signaling pathway. On the other hand, the content of total phenol, total flavonoids, total saponins and total polysaccharide were measured by UV, 27 compounds were identified by LC-MS. CONCLUSIONS: These studies explored the role and mechanism of WBGE in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, and may support the utilization and further investigation of wild bitter gourd as a dietary intervention strategy to prevent diabetes and related metabolic abnormalities.

New insights into the bioactive polysaccharides, proteins, and triterpenoids isolated from bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and their relevance for nutraceutical and food application: A review.

The recent trend in infectious diseases and chronic disorders has dramatically increased consumers' interest in functional foods. As a result, the research of bioactive ingredients with potential for nutraceutical and food application has rapidly become a topic of interest. In this optic, the plant Momordica charantia (M. charantia) has recently attracted the most attention owing to its numerous biological properties including anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancers among others. However, the current literature on M. charantia has mainly been concerned with the plant extract while little is known on the specific bioactive compounds responsible for the plant's health benefits. Hence, the present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent research progress on bioactives isolated from M. charantia, focusing on polysaccharides, proteins, and triterpenoids. Thus, this review provides an up-to-date account of the different extraction methods used to isolate M. charantia bioactives. In addition, the structural features and biological properties are presented. Moreover, this review discusses the current and promising applications of M. charantia bioactives with relevance to the nutraceutical and food industries. The information provided in this review will serve as a theoretical basis and practical support for the formulation of products enriched with M. charantia bioactives.

Cytotoxicity and maternal toxicity attributed to exposure to Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) dry leaf extract.

Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae), popularly known as "bitter melon" or "bitter gourd," is a climbing plant well-adapted to tropical countries. This plant is used traditionally to treat several conditions including diabetes mellitus, inflammation, liver dysfunctions, and cancer. Given the widespread ethnopharmacological use, this study aimed to examine the cytogenetic, maternal, and developmental toxicity attributed to exposure to dry extract of M. charantia leaves using Allium cepa and Wistar rats as test models. First, phytochemical characterization of the dry extract by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses was performed. Then, Allium cepa roots were exposed to three different concentrations of the dry extract (0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg/ml) to determine the mitotic index, frequency of chromosomal aberrations, and nuclear abnormalities. In addition, pregnant Wistar rats were administered either 500; 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg dry extract during the gestational period (GD) days 6-15, and subsequently possible toxic effect on the dams and fetuses were recorded. HPLC analyses confirmed rutin as the main secondary metabolite present in the dry extract. In the Allium cepa test, the dry extract was cytotoxic. In Wistar rats, dry extract administration reduced water and feed intake and mean body mass gain, indicating maternal toxicity during the organogenesis period. However, the dry extract did not markedly affect reproductive outcome parameters evaluated. Regarding developmental toxicity assessment, the dry extract treatment did not significantly alter number of skeletal malformations in the offspring. Data demonstrated that the dry extract of M. charantia leaves presents cytotoxicity and low maternal toxicity, indicating indiscriminate use needs to be avoided.

Antiproliferative efficacy of the antioxidant bioactive compounds of defatted seeds of Azadirachta indica and Momordica charantia against the regulatory function of tumor suppressor gene inducing oral carcinoma.

The present study focuses on the antiproliferative activity of polyphenolic flavonoids found in defatted seeds of Azadirachta indica and Momordica charantia with the regulatory function of tumor suppressor genes inducing Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Polyphenolic flavonoid in extracts was characterized using chromatographic analysis and has confirmed the presence of quercetin, rutin and tannic acid in the extracts of A. indica and M. charantia. According to DPPH assay and reducing power assays, free radical scavenging was found to be high in ethanolic extract of defatted seeds. Antiproliferative efficacies of defatted seed extracts against KB cell line (mouth) were studied by MTT assay and revealed that aqueous extract of defatted seeds of M. charantia has exhibited maximum antiproliferative activity against KB cells. Antioxidant activity of defatted seed extracts were observed on treated KB cells by determining enzymatic activity (SOD, Cat, and GST) and nonenzyme content (GSH and MDA Content). Using the AutoDock tool, quercetin, rutin and tannin acid revealed that mutant p53, TWIST related protein, TGF-ß and Snail I have the best binging energy results. MD simulation was observed on best docking results between the molecule and identified flavonoid by Desmond V 5.9 package . This leads to the conclusion that bioactive extracts with antiproliferative activity, antioxidant capacity and polyphenols with binding efficacy against tumor suppressor gene regulatory function could be used as a herbal remedy.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Recent advances in the development of bitter gourd seed oil: from chemical composition to potential applications.

Non-conventional seed oils are being considered novelty foods due to the unique properties of their chemical constituents. Numerous such seed oils serve as nutritional and functional supplements, making them a point of interest for scholars. Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) seed oil (BGSO) has been widely used in folk medicine worldwide for the treatment of different pathologies, such as diabetes, cancer, and several inflammatory diseases. Therefore, its nutritional and medicinal value has been extensively studied. Considering the potential use of BGSO, it is imperative to have a comprehensive understanding of this product to develop and use its biologically active ingredients in innovative food and pharmaceutical products. An extensive understanding of BGSO would also help improve the economic feasibility of the bitter gourd seed processing industry and help prevent environmental pollution associated with the raw waste produced during the processing of bitter gourd seeds. This review addresses the potential uses of BGSO in terms of food and pharmaceuticals industry perspectives and comprehensively summarizes the oil extraction process, chemical composition, biological activity, and the application prospects of BGSO in clinical medicine.