Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28623919›Full record

ArticleBMC complementary and alternative medicine2017

Effects of Karela (Bitter Melon; Momordica charantia) on genes of lipids and carbohydrates metabolism in experimental hypercholesterolemia: biochemical, molecular and histopathological study.

Dalia Yossri Saad, Mohamed Mohamed Soliman, Ahmed A Baiomy, Magdy Hassan Yassin, Hanan Basiouni El-Sawy

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  2. The Biochemical Role of Bitter Melon (Food science & nutrition · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Three Selected Edible Crops of the GenusFrontiers in pharmacology · 2021
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Frontiers in pharmacology · 2019
    Review
  9. The Effect of Sanggua Drink Extract on Insulin Resistance through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018
    Article
  10. Effectiveness of bitter melon extract in the treatment of ischemic wounds in rats.Turkish journal of biology = Turk biyoloji dergisi · 2018
    Article
  11. Bioactivity-Guided Isolation of Neuritogenic Factor from the Seeds of the Gac Plant (Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018
    Article
  12. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Dalia Yossri SaadMedical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Turabah, Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed Mohamed SolimanMedical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Turabah, Saudi Arabia. mohamedsoliman8896@yahoo.com.
Ahmed A BaiomyBiology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Magdy Hassan YassinReproductive Diseases Department, Animal Reproduction Research Institute (ARRI), Al-Haram, Giza, Egypt.
Hanan Basiouni El-SawyDepartment of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Cairo, Egypt.
Taif University · SACairo University · EGKafrelsheikh University · EG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHypercholesterolemia is a serious diseases associated with type-2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders and liver diseases. Humans seek for safe herbal medication such as karela (Momordica charantia/bitter melon) to treat such disorders to avoid side effect of pharmacotherapies widely used.

methodsForty male Wistar rats were divided into four equal groups; control group with free access to food and water, cholesterol administered group (40 mg/kg BW orally); karela administered group (5 g /kg BW orally) and mixture of cholesterol and karela. The treatments continued for 10 weeks. Karela was given for hypercholesterolemic rats after 6 weeks of cholesterol administration. Serum, liver and epididymal adipose tissues were taken for biochemical, histopathological and genetic assessments.

resultsHypercholesterolemia induced a decrease in serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH) and an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels that were ameliorated by karela administration. Hypercholesterolemia up regulated antioxidants mRNA expression and altered the expression of carbohydrate metabolism genes. In parallel, hypercholesterolemic groups showed significant changes in the expression of PPAR-alpha and gamma, lipolysis, lipogenesis and cholesterol metabolism such as carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1). Acyl CoA oxidase (ACO), fatty acids synthase (FAS), sterol responsible element binding protein-1c (SREBP1c), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoAR) and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) at hepatic and adipose tissue levels. Interestingly, Karela ameliorated all altered genes confirming its hypocholesterolemic effect. Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings revealed that hypercholesterolemia induced hepatic tissue changes compared with control. These changes include cholesterol clefts, necrosis, karyolysis and sever congestion of portal blood vessel. Caspase-3 immunoreactivity showed positive expression in hepatic cells of hypercholesterolemic rats compared to control. All were counteracted and normalized after Karela administration to hypercholesterolemic group.

conclusionCurrent findings confirmed that karela is a potential supplement useful in treatment of hypercholesterolemia and its associated disorders and is good for human health.

Indexed as

Carbohydrate MetabolismLipid MetabolismAdipose TissueAnimalsAnticholesteremic AgentsCholesterolCholesterol 7-alpha-HydroxylaseFatty Acid Synthase, Type IHumansHypercholesterolemiaLiverMaleMomordica charantiaRatsRats, WistarAnticholesteremic AgentsCholesterolCholesterol 7-alpha-HydroxylaseFatty Acid Synthase, Type ICarbohydrateGene expressionHypercholesterolemia KarelaLipids

Identifiers

PMID28623919
PMCPMC5474009
OpenAlexW2624685663

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.