 Antidiabetic Constituents from the Dominican Medicinal Plant Momordica charantia
 Biography Overview Momordica charantia is a widely-used plant in traditional Dominican medicine for diabetes treatment. This project hypothesizes that the active compounds isolated from M. charantia fruits lower blood glucose concentrations via an increase in (3-cell replication and function, resulting in improved insulin secretion. To test this hypothesis, the fruits of M. charantia will be extracted, fractionated, and tested with a p-cell assay in order to identify the active fractions. Various chromatographic methods will be used to isolate the bioactive compounds from the active fractions. After isolation, the active compounds will be identified using modern phytochemical techniques and further tested in vitro using (3-cells to quantify the effects against an established oral hypoglycemic drug as a reference. Two of the bioactive compounds will be selected for in vivo testing based on their activity in the (3-cell line, uniqueness of chemical structure, and yield. The selected compounds will then be tested in a mouse model of obesity-induced hyperglycemia along with positive controls of commonly prescribed medications for Type II diabetes mellitus to functionally investigate the compounds'hypoglycemic activity. In addition, the active compounds isolated from the fruit will be quantified in the stems and leaves of M. charantia, as these parts of the plants are used in traditional Dominican medicine. Many traditional remedies have not been rigorously researched in the scientific and medical communities. Therefore, this project will provide training both in phytochemical techniques and research, and also in the skills necessary for the scientific research of herbal medicine. This interdisciplinary training is vital to a goal of a lifetime career in the rigorous scientific study of complementary and alternative medicine. Momordica charantia is a widely-used plant in treating one of the world's most threatening diseases, diabetes. Although this plant's antidiabetic activity has been researched, very few studies have rigorously tested the bioactive M. charantia compounds for specific mechanisms of action. The results of this study will allow people to make more informed decisions about the use of M. charantia in diabetes treatment.
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