Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) attenuates atherosclerosis in apo-E knock-out mice possibly through reducing triglyceride and anti-inflammation

Abstract

BackgroundBitter melon (BM, Momordica charantia) has been accepted as an effective complementary treatment of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and etc. However it is unclear whether BM can prevent the progression of atherosclerosis. To confirm the effects of BM on atherosclerosis and explore its underlying mechanisms, we design this study.MethodsTwenty four male apolipoprotein E knock-out (ApoE-/-) mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into control group fed with high fat diet (HFD) only and BM group fed with HFD mixed with 1.2%w/w BM. After 16 weeks, body weight, food intake, blood glucose, serum lipids were measured and the atherosclerotic plaque area and its histological composition were analyzed. The expression of vascular cell adhesive molecules and inflammatory cytokines in the aortas were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsBody weight gain and serum triglycerides (TG) significantly decreased in BM group. BM reduced not only the atherosclerotic plaque area and the contents of collagen fibers in atherosclerotic plaques but also the serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and P-selectin levels, as well as the expressions of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and interleukin (IL)-6 in aortas.ConclusionOur study indicates that dietary BM can attenuate the development of atherosclerosis in ApoeE-/- mice possibly through reducing triglyceride and anti-inflammation mechanism.

The Enhanced Pharmacological Effects of Modified Traditional Chinese Medicine in Attenuation of Atherosclerosis Is Driven by Modulation of Gut Microbiota

“…Recent studies have reported that inflammation plays a critical role in the formation and development of AS (Lu and Kakkar, 2014). A variety of TCM compounds or monomers for activating blood have shown to inhibit the inflammatory response of AS (Kang et al, 2015;Zeng et al, 2018;Liu et al, 2020). To achieve the innovative development of TCM, there is an unmet need to improve the TCM pharmacological effects by modifying formulas with a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of TCM in the context of both host phenotypes and the gut microbiome.…”

The Impact of Dietary Supplementation of Whole Foods and Polyphenols on Atherosclerosis

“…Few studies have been performed that analyze the effect of root or gourd vegetables on atherosclerosis. We found three papers which utilized very different protocols to assess anthocyanins from purple sweet potatoes [157]; an extract from Chinese yams [158]; and bitter melon [159], a member of the cucumber family popular in Eastern Asian cuisine. Anthocyanins from the purple sweet potato and bitter melon extracts were supplemented into the diet, while the Chinese yam extracts were administered via gavage.…”

“…It is hypothesized that, in studies showing no changes in lipid profile [157,159], protection against plaque accumulation was mediated by reduced VCAM-1. Additionally, purple sweet potato anthocyanins lowered thiobarbituric acid in the liver, an oxidative stress marker associated with lipid peroxidation.…”

Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Momordica Charantia: A Review

“…5 M. Charantia is a plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family and is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. [5][6][7] Studies have determined that this plant contains a great diversity of primary and secondary metabolites 8,9 with therapeutic potential as antiulcer properties 6,10 , antioxidant [11][12][13][14] , antimicrobial 6,8,12,[15][16][17] , anthelmintic 18,19 , antidiabetic 6,11,20,21 , antiinflammatory 21,22 , antihyperglycemic 6,21,23 and anticancer 4,19,21,24 , and nutritional as antilipolytic. 11,25 Bacterial resistance is one of the main problems around the world, it is thought that by 2050 bacterial resistance will be one of the leading causes of death in the world.…”