Title: Effect of Momrdica Charantia in Alloxanised Hyperglycemic Rabbits – An Experimental Approach.

Objective: To study the hypoglycaemic activity of Momrdica charantia in rabbits.

Materials & Methods: All animals were injected iv 150 mg/kg.b.w. of alloxan monohydrate in citrate buffer of pH 4.5. Eight days after alloxan injection, blood from each one of them was again tested and when hyperglycemia was established, the treatment M. charantia Q, 45 % alcohol and saline were mitigated three groups.

Results: Oral administration of Momordica charantia Q (fruit) at a dose level of 0.2 ml /kg.b.w. for 30 days produced highly significant (p< 0.001) fall in blood sugar level. The hypoglycaemic activity came into prominence after 15^th day of following administration of M. charantia when compared with Normal Control & control groups. Histopathological studies of pancreas revealed that the drug did not exhibit restoration of beta cells of islets of Langerhans, however viable beta cells are found to be active upon the drug treatment.

Conclusion: These studies suggest that the hypoglycemic principle in M. Charantia Q may exert a direct effect in diabetic rabbits probably by a mechanism similar to insulin and also it may have indirect action by increasing insulin secretion from viable beta cells. The findings of present study also confirmed that the drug is capable of increasing GH level & body weight suppressed by diabetes.

Published in: Drug Research, Homoeopathic Drug Research Institute, Annual Report.1998-99. 77-82.