²Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, AIU Medical College, Muzaffarnagar.

Accepted 29^th February, 2012

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) or bitter gourd commonly known as karella, (family: Cucurbitaceae), has been proved for hypoglycemic effects. Momordica Charantia is one of the many plants considered to have a hypoglycemic effect and many diabetic subjects consume it because of its hypoglycemic effect. Bitter gourd is well known for its insulin-like protein, called p-insulin, v-insulin, or polypeptide-p, that decreases fasting blood sugar levels in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. Cucurbitantype triterpenoids in fruits, including momordicine and momordicosides, and conjugated linolenic acid, a fatty acid found in high concentrations in the seeds, help reverse insulin resistance. Fiber and saponins in bitter gourd slow down carbohydrate digestion and prevent high post-prandial blood sugar levels. Isolated compounds, bitter gourd extract, juices and powders have demonstrated potential in lowering blood sugar. Different groups of patients were treated by bitter gourd tablet (BGT) for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks treatment biochemical parameters from blood serum were analyzed. The significant differences of glucose, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglyceride, in BGT treated group compare to diabetic group were found. So, from present study it is, concluded that Bitter gourd tablets has beneficial effects on glucose tolerance.

Key words: Diabetes mellitus; bitter gourd; blood sugar.