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 acidic ethanol. The extract was adjusted to pH 3 and proteins and peptides were precipitated by addition of a copious volume of acetone. 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 agarose to yield an unadsorbed fraction (F) which could be fractionated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-10 to give an unretarded fraction (F1) and a retarded fraction (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 enhanced 3H-glucose incorporation into lipid. The results are indicative of the presence of compounds with insulinomimetic activities in M. charantia fruits and seeds.