Momordica Grosvenori Research Articles

Porous carbon derived from a by-product of traditional Chinese medicine for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors

The rational utilization of biomass waste for the production of usable energy holds immense significance. The present study proposes the effective utilization of a byproduct derived from traditional Chinese medicine, specifically momordica grosvenori shell, as a precursor for fabricating high-performance porous carbon electrodes in rechargeable aqueous zinc ion supercapacitors. The MGCx-T electrodes are prepared by KOH activation and carbonization with MG (momordica grosvenori shell). The influence of KOH addition amount and carbonization temperature on the properties of the prepared materials were studied. Resulting that MGC3–800 has good electrical conductivity, high specific surface area (1141 m2 g−1) and abundant pore structure. The maximum specific capacity reaches 228.7 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 in 2 M ZnSO4 electrolyte. In the gelatin/ZnSO4 electrolyte, the specific capacity reaches a maximum of 186.1 mAh g−1. Additionally, it exhibits an energy density of 167.5 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 6300 W kg−1. Furthermore, exceptional cycling stability is observed with a capacity retention rate of 92.6 % after 10,000 cycles. Hence, the realization of an industry-effective strategy that not only utilizes biomass waste, but also produces high-performance zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor electrodes has been achieved.

Compound dark tea ameliorates obesity and hepatic steatosis and modulates the gut microbiota in mice.

Dark tea is a fermented tea that plays a role in regulating the homeostasis of intestinal microorganisms. Previous studies have found that dark tea can improve obesity and has a lipid-lowering effect. In this study, green tea, Ilex latifolia Thunb (kuding tea) and Momordica grosvenori (Luo Han Guo) were added to a new compound dark tea (CDT), to improve the taste and health of this beverage. High-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice were treated with low- (6 mg/mL) or high- (12 mg/mL) concentrations of CDT for 18 weeks to assess their effect on lipid metabolism. Our results suggest that low- and high-concentrations of CDT could reduce body weight by 15 and 16% and by 44 and 38% of body fat, respectively, by attenuating body weight gain and fat accumulation, improving glucose tolerance, alleviating metabolic endotoxemia, and regulating the mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes. In addition, low concentrations of CDT were able to reduce the abundance of Desulfovibrio, which is positively associated with obesity, and increase the abundance of Ruminococcus, which are negatively associated with obesity. This study demonstrates the effect of CDT on ameliorating lipid metabolism and provides new insights into the research and development of functional tea beverages.

Systematically Investigating the Pharmacological Mechanism of Momordica grosvenori in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury by Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification.

This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of Momordica grosvenori (MG) in spinal cord injury (SCI) by network pharmacology analysis. We searched for potential active MG compounds using the TCMSP database and the BATMAN-TCM platform. The Swiss target prediction database was used to find MG-related targets and the targets of SCI from the CTD, GeneCards, and DrugBank databases. Following that, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) study was carried out. Cytoscape software was used to calculate the hub gene, and R software was used to evaluate the Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment pathways. Finally, molecular docking between the hub protein and important compounds was performed. We verified STAT3, MAPK1, HSP90AA1, PIK3R1, PIK3CA, and RXRA potential targets by quantitative PCR. We obtained 293 MG-anti-SCI targets with potential therapeutic utility by intersecting 346 MG-related targets and 7214 SCI-related targets. The top 10 identified genes, ranking in descending order of value, were SRC, STAT3, MAPK1, HSP90AA1, PIK3R1, PIK3CA, RXRA, AKT1, CREBBP, and JAK2. Through enrichment analysis and literature search, 10 signaling pathways were screened out. The molecular docking of important drugs and hub targets revealed that some had a higher binding affinity. The results of quantitative PCR indicated that MAPK1, RXRA, and STAT3 were expressed differently in in vitro experiments. In conclusion, the current work indicated that MG might play an anti-SCI role via multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel interaction, which presents a novel idea for further research into the precise mechanism of MG-anti-SCI interaction.

Momordica Grosvenori Shell-Derived Porous Carbon Materials for High-Efficiency Symmetric Supercapacitors.

Porous carbon materials derived from waste biomass have received broad interest in supercapacitor research due to their high specific surface area, good electrical conductivity, and excellent electrochemical performance. In this work, Momordica grosvenori shell-derived porous carbons (MGCs) were synthesized by high-temperature carbonization and subsequent activation by potassium hydroxide (KOH). As a supercapacitor electrode, the optimized MGCs-2 sample exhibits superior electrochemical performance. For example, a high specific capacitance of 367 F∙g-1 is achieved at 0.5 A∙g-1. Even at 20 A∙g-1, more than 260 F∙g-1 can be retained. Moreover, it also reveals favorable cycling stability (more than 96% of capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at 5 A∙g-1). These results demonstrate that porous carbon materials derived from Momordica grosvenori shells are one of the most promising electrode candidate materials for practical use in the fields of electrochemical energy storage and conversion.

Mogroside V Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation via Inhibition of TLR4-MyD88 and Activation of AKT/AMPK-Nrf2 Signaling Pathway.

As innate immune effector cells in the central nervous system (CNS), microglia not only are essential for the normal development of nervous system but also act on different neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), and other neuroinflammatory diseases. Mogroside V (Mog), a natural plant active ingredient and isolated form of Momordica grosvenori, has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory action, but few studies were carried out to investigate the effects of Mog on neuroinflammation. This study aimed to investigate the role of Mog in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced neuroinflammation and neuronal damage, revealing the underlying mechanisms. Our data indicated that Mog significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of proinflammatory factors, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-18, IL-6, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in BV-2 cells. We found that Mog also suppressed toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), adenosine 5′-monophosphate- (AMP-) activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), and protein kinase B (AKT). Moreover, Mog also enhanced the expression of γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase catalytic subunit (GCLC), modifier subunit (GCLM), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) proteins, mostly depending on the nuclear translation of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). In contrast, pretreatment with inhibitors of AKT can suppress the phosphorylation of AMPK, Nrf2, and its downstream proteins expression. In summary, Mog might play a protective role against LPS-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting the TLR4-MyD88 and activation of AMPK/AKT-Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Effects of Garcinia mongostana, Lycium barbzarum, Momordica grosvenori, and Psidium guajava on the Growth of Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus thermophilus

There are an increasing number of fermented beverage using herbal extract as a natural ingredient. The growth of bacteria in four plant water extract (Lycium barbarum, Psidium guajava, Momordica grosvenori, and Garcinia mongostana) as measured by the increase in turbidity of MRS and M17 growth medium containing Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus thermophilus respectively was investigated during 30 minutes of incubation at 37°C. The stimulatory effects on Lactobacillus spp. growth was tremendously enhanced (p<0.05) by L. barbarum (3.0%; OD=0.1.1) and P. guajava (1.5% (OD=0.5) and 3.0% (OD=0.6); respectively) compared to control (0%) after 30 minutes. In addition, inclusion of P. guajava (1.5%) shorted incubation time to reach plateau at 5 minutes. The inclusion of M. grosvenori and G. mangostana water extract at 0.30% increased Lactobacillus spp. growth by 2 and 14 fold respectively which higher than control. There was a dose response effect of all plant water extracts except for M. grosvenori on the growth of S. thermophilus. All the three concentrations of L. barbarum and P. guajava stimulated the growth of S. thermophilus which reach 3 fold higher than control at 1.5% L. barbarum. On the other hand, M. grosvenori water extract showed inhibitory effects on the growth of S. thermophilus at all doses but after the first 15 min at 3.0% the inhibitory effects were lost (p<0.05). G. mangostana water extract at 3.0% increased S. thermophilus growth 10 fold higher than control after 30 minutes. In conclusion, all plant water extract samples except M. grosvenori could be a good vehicle for carrying Lactobacillus ssp. and S. thermophilus while M. grosvenori could enhance the growth of Lactobacillus spp. but not S. thermophilus.

Physicochemical analysis, proteolysis activity and exopolysaccharides production of herbal yogurt fortified with plant extracts

Abstract Yogurt production with starter culture at 41 °C in the presence of plant water extracts (Momordica grosvenori, Psidium guajava, Lycium barbarum or Garcinia mangostana) were studied to examine the effects on acidification, physicochemical properties, microbial growth, proteolytic activity, and exopolysaccharide (EPS) content. All plant-based yogurt reached a pH of 4.5 faster (300–330 min) than plain-yogurt (360 min). All plant water extracts stimulated Lactobacillus spp. (∼7.4 log10 CFU/mL) and Streptococcus thermophilus (8.20–8.50 log10 CFU/mL) growth except for G. mangostana which marginally inhibited Lactobacillus spp. growth (7.21 log10 CFU/mL). M. grosvenori, L. barbarum, and G. mangonstana were significantly affected proteolysis of milk proteins (46.2 ± 0.8, 39.9 ± 0.5, & 35.8 ± 0.1 µg/mL; respectively) compared to plain-yogurt (26.3 ± 0.4 µg/mL). The presence of G. mangostana and L. barbarum resulted in an increase (p < 0.05) of total solids content (∼15.0%) and water holding capacity in yogurt (28.1 ± 1.2 & 26.5 ± 0.3%; respectively; p < 0.05). In addition, M. grosvenori water extract enhanced (p < 0.05) syneresis of yogurt (1.78 ± 0.30%). L. barbarum yogurt showed the highest EPS concentration (220.9 ± 12.4 µg/L) among yogurt samples. In conclusion, the presence of plant water extracts positively altered yogurt fermentation, enhanced proteolysis of milk protein, and induced EPS production.

Mogroside V inhibits LPS-induced COX-2 expression/ROS production and overexpression of HO-1 by blocking phosphorylation of AKT1 in RAW264.7 cells.

Momordica grosvenori is a valuable edible plant with medicinal purposes, and it is widely used in medicated diets and traditional Chinese medicine in Asia. Mogroside V (MV), the main bioactive component from M. grosvenori, is commonly used as a natural sweetener. M. grosvenori extracts have been reported to exert potent anti-inflammatory property, however the underlying molecular mechanism still remains unknown. In the present study, the biological effect of MV in inflammation was investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The ELISA and western blot analysis results showed that MV significantly inhibited LPS-induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. MV markedly decreased the phosphorylation of IκB-α, increased IκB-α, and reduced nuclear p-65 and C/EBPδ. Furthermore, MV attenuated LPS-induced phosphorylation of MAPKs and AKT1, and only the phosphorylation status of AKT1 was found to be consistent with the expression trend of COX-2. Moreover, MV reduced ROS level and restored overexpressed HO-1 and AP-1 to basal level, which can be markedly reversed by AKT1 inhibitor LY294002. These results revealed that AKT1 plays a key role in LPS-induced COX-2 expression, and acts as a mediator to keep the redox balance in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. MV exerts anti-inflammatory property by blocking AKT1-mediated NF-κB and C/EBPδ activation, ROS generation and AP-1/ HO-1 expression. Therefore, the present study indicated that MV has a significant chemopreventive effect on the inflammatory lesions and suggested that AKT1 is a potential specific target of MV for relieving inflammation.

Effect of the addition of phytomix-3+ mangosteen on antioxidant activity, viability of lactic acid bacteria, type 2 diabetes key-enzymes, and sensory evaluation of yogurt

Phytomix-3 was prepared from the mixture of Lycium barbarum, Momordica grosvenori and Psidium guajava leaves and added together with Garcinia mangostana (pulp and pericarp). The effect of phytomix-3+ mangosteen (Ph-3+M) enriched yogurt was studied for peptide content, inhibitory activities on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, the viability of S. thermophilus and Lactobacillus spp. during 0, 7 and 14 days of storage, both before (pre-) and after (post-) simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Antioxidant activity (DPPH assay), total phenolic content and sensory evaluation were also investigated during the storage period. Ph-3+M yogurt showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity and TPC compared to plain yogurt during storage. The highest peptide concentrations of pre- and post-digested Ph-3+M yogurt was shown on day 7 of storage. Ph-3+M yogurt displayed strong inhibition on α-glucosidase and mild inhibition on α-amylase inhibitory activities. Ph-3+M yogurt enhanced the viability of S. thermophilus and Lactobacillus spp. In conclusion, Ph-3+M yogurt could provide beneficial effects as a functional food.

Protective effects of Momordica grosvenori extract against lipid and protein oxidation-induced damage in dried minced pork slices

The experiment was conducted to assess the protective effects of Momordica grosvenori extract (MGE) against lipid and protein oxidation-induced damage in vacuum-packed dried minced pork slices stored at room temperature for 21days. Antioxidant activity of MGE was evaluated by measuring its radical scavenging activities and reducing power with progressive concentrations from 40 to 200g/L. MGE was added to the dried minced pork slices at 7, 10 or 15g/100g. Results showed that inclusion of MGE in dried minced pork slice significantly delayed the formation of hexanal, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and carbonyls and reduced the sulfhydryl loss in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05), indicating that MGE exerted a protective effect against lipids and protein oxidation. Concomitantly, an intense increase of redness and loss of lightness and yellowness was found to take place (P<0.05), though it exhibited little negative effects on the sensory properties of slices. Mogrosides, the main bioactive components in M. grosvenori, decreased primarily during processing while they were relatively stable during storage under vacuum condition, room temperature. All these results demonstrated MGE had great potential as a natural antioxidant used in meat products.

Antioxidant Capacities of Hot Water Extracts and Endopolysaccharides of Selected Chinese Medicinal Fruits.

Fruits are a rich source of antioxidants and traditional Chinese fruits have been studied for their chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties against cancers and other diseases. The total phenol and flavonoid contents of eleven Chinese fruits extracts were determined. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated by both the Folin-Ciocalteau and aluminium chloride methods. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by four assays: a biological assay using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, DPPH radical scavenging activity, chelating ability for ferrous ions and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The phenols and flavonoids contents of the hot water extracts were in the range of 17.7 to 94.7 mg/g and 12.3 to 295.4 mg/g, whereas the endopolysaccharides lie in the range of 4.5 to 77.4 mg/g and 22.7 to 230.0 mg/g. Significant amounts of phenols and flavonoids were present in the majority of the fruit extracts and showed strong antioxidant activities. The antioxidant properties of the fruit extracts of Crataegus pinnatifida, Illicium verum, Ligustrum lucidum, Momordica grosvenori and Psoralea corylifolia as determined by the DPPH and FRAP methods, were significant compared to other fruit extracts. In the present study, we found that significant amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds were present in these fruit extracts and may contribute to in vitro antioxidant activities.

Protective effects and mechanisms of mogroside V on LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice

Context: Mogroside V, a compound isolated from Momordica grosvenori Swingle, which belongs to the Cucurbitaceae, is a traditional Chinese medicine reported to have anti-inflammatory potential in murine macrophages and a murine ear edema model.Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of this compound in a model of acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS).Materials and methods: Female BALB/c mice were treated with commercial mogroside V (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) for 1 h prior to intranasal injection of LPS (10 μg in 50 μl). After 12 h, airway inflammation in the ALI model was determined by the wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity of lung tissue, leukocyte recruitment and cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Additionally, lung tissue was examined by histology and western blotting to investigate the changes in pathology and the signalling in the presence and absence of mogroside V.Results: Mogroside V at 5 and 10 mg/kg inhibited airway inflammation induced by LPS as measured by the decrease in the histological changes (44 and 67.3% reduction in lung injury score, respectively), a 28.9 and 55.3% reduction in lung MPO activity, and inflammatory cell counts, interleukin-1β (IL‐1β, 382 and 280 pg/ml, respectively), IL-6 (378 and 232 pg/ml, respectively) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, 12.5 and 7.8 ng/ml, respectively) levels in the BALF. Additionally, mogroside V treatment reduced the activation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and the nuclear factor (NF)-κB.Discussions and conclusions: Together, these data suggest that mogroside V has the potential to protect against LPS-induced airway inflammation in a model of ALI.

Inhibitory effects of Momordica grosvenori Swingle extracts on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-induced skin inflammation and tumor promotion in mouse skin

Our previous data showed that the Momordica grosvenori Swingle extract (MSE) exhibited the anti-inflammatory effect through markedly suppressed LPS-induced up-regulation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and ODC (ornithine decarboxylase) gene expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Regarding the link between inflammation and carcinogenesis, we further investigated the bio-molecular mechanisms of both anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities in vivo using a TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate)-stimulated mouse skin model. Pretreatment with MSE in mouse skin has led to the reduction of TPA-induced nuclear translocation of the nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) subunits as well as phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 subsequent reduction of IκBα degradation. In addition, the MSE inhibitory effect on upstream of NFκB was found to involve the transcriptional effects of MAPK signaling as indicated by strong suppression on TPA-induced activation of extracellular signal regulate kinase (ERK)1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt. Moreover, MSE significantly inhibited 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-TPA-induced skin tumor formation in mice measured by the tumor multiplicity of papillomas at 20 weeks. The results suggested that MSE contained promising functional ingredients capable of preventing inflammation-associated tumorigenesis.

Anti-inflammatory Activities of Mogrosides from Momordica grosvenori in Murine Macrophages and a Murine Ear Edema Model

Momordica grosvenori (Luo Han Guo), grown primarily in Guangxi province in China, has been traditionally used for thousands of years by the Chinese to make hot drinks for the treatment of sore throat and the removal of phlegm. The natural noncaloric sweetening triterpenoid glycosides (mogrosides) contained in the M. grosvenori fruits are also antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and helpful in preventing diabetic complications. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-inflammatory properties of mogrosides in both murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and a murine ear edema model. The results indicate that mogrosides can inhibit inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in RAW 264.7 cells by down-regulating the expression of key inflammatory genes iNOS, COX-2, and IL-6 and up-regulating some inflammation protective genes such as PARP1, BCL2l1, TRP53, and MAPK9. Similarly, in the murine ear edema model, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced inflammation was inhibited by mogrosides by down-regulating COX-2 and IL-6 and up-regulating PARP1, BCL2l1, TRP53, MAPK9, and PPARδ gene expression. This study shows that the anticancer and antidiabetic effects of M. grosvenori may result in part from its anti-inflammatory activity.

Growth and Photosynthetic Capability of Momordica grosvenori Plantlets Grown Photoautotrophically in Response to Light Intensity

Momordica grosvenori plantlets were cultured in vitro for 26 d on sucrose- and hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with four levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), namely 25, 50, 100, or 200 μmol·m−2·s−1, and a CO2 concentration of 1000 μmol·mol−1 in the culture room [i.e., photoautotrophic micropropagation (PA) treatments]. The control treatment was a photomixotrophic culture using MS medium containing sucrose and NAA with a CO2 concentration of 400 μmol·mol−1 in the culture room and a PPFD of 25 μmol·m−2·s−1. Based on the results, a second experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and sucrose on callus formation. For this, plantlets were grown in the absence and presence of either NAA or sucrose. Compared with the control, the PA plantlet had a well-developed rooting system, better shoot, greater chlorophyll content, and higher electron transport rate and the ex vitro survival percentage was increased by 31%. Both sucrose and NAA stimulated callus formation on the shoot bases of control plantlets, whereas calluses did not form on the plantlets grown in sucrose- and hormone-free medium. The stronger light intensities increased the fresh and dry weight of plantlets. A PPFD of 100 μmol·m−2·s−1 was more suitable for the growth of M. grosvenori plantlets. Therefore, photoautotrophic plantlets grown at high light intensities would be better suited to the intense irradiance found in sunlight.

Anti-inflammatory effect of Momordica grosvenori Swingle extract through suppressed LPS-induced upregulation of iNOS and COX-2 in murine macrophages

Momordica grosvenori Swingle, a traditional medicinal herb, is known to possess anti-inflammatory anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic, and nephroprotective activities. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of M. grosvenori Swingle extract (MSE) on the induction of NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in murine RAW 264.7 cells activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Western blotting and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses demonstrated that MSE significantly blocked protein and mRNA expression of iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-induced macrophages. Treatment with MSE resulted in the reduction of LPS-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) subunit and the dependent transcriptional activity of NFκB by blocking phosphorylation of inhibitor κB (IκB)α and p65 and subsequent degradation of IκBα. Transient transfection experiments using NFκB reporter constructs indicated that MSE inhibits the transcriptional activity of NFκB in LPS-stimulated mouse macrophages. MSE also inhibited LPS-induced activation of PI3K/Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and p38 MAPK. Taken together, these results show that MSE down regulates inflammatory iNOS and COX-2 gene expression in macrophages by inhibiting the activation of NFκB by interfering with the activation PI3K/Akt/IKK and MAPK. These results have important implication for using MSE towards the development of effective anti-inflammatory agents.

Effect of Momordica grosvenori on oxidative stress pathways in renal mitochondria of normal and alloxan-induced diabetic mice

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. Momordica grosvenori (MG), a traditional medicinal herb used as substitute sugar for obese and diabetes, exhibits anti-oxidative activity in vitro. This study investigated the effect of MG on renal mitochondrial lipid peroxidation, anti-oxidative defense system, and a potent oxidative stress-responsive protein, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) of nondiabetic and alloxan-diabetic mice in different stages of diabetes. Male Balb/c mice were rendered diabetic by a single intra-peritoneal injection of alloxan (200 mg/kg), while control mice received sham saline injection. Control and diabetic mice were further subdivided according to their treatments: control (saline), low dose MG (150 mg/kg) and high dose MG (300 mg/kg), which were administered immediately after confirmation of hyperglycemia by gavage daily over an 8-week period. Mice were killed by cervical dislocation at 4th and 8th week, respectively, and serum and renal tissues were harvested. Serum glucose, lipid profile and renal function were evaluated; renal homogenate were subjected to determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) concentration, manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and HO-1 activities, together with Mn-SOD and HO-1 mRNA expression; paraffin-embedded renal tissues was used for routine histopathological examination. Short-term diabetes caused hyperglycemia and intensified oxidative stress in renal mitochondrial demonstrated by higher MDA and lower GSH levels than control group, accompanied by increased mRNA expression and activity of HO-1 and Mn-SOD, and augmented GSH-Px activity. Low dose of MG administration ameliorated hyperglycemia, inhibited HO-1 and Mn-SOD mRNA expression and reduced HO-1, Mn-SOD, GSH-Px activities. Diabetic mice did not demonstrate early symptoms of diabetic nephropathy until 8th week, characterized by hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and renal damage. A progressive increment in MDA level and decrease in GSH level, as well as reduced mRNA expression and activity of Mn-SOD and HO-1 in the kidney were observed. Low dose of MG attenuated diabetic nephropa- thy symptoms partially, inhibited lipid peroxidation, up-regulated HO-1 and Mn-SOD mRNA expression, and increased HO-1 activity. Conclusions The study confirmed the involvement of oxidative stress in the development of diabetes mediated by the pro- and antioxidant role of HO-1, and pointed to the possible anti-oxidative mechanism of the anti-diabetic and nephroprotective action of MG.

A natural sweetener, Momordica grosvenori, attenuates the imbalance of cellular immune functions in alloxan‐induced diabetic mice

Momordica grosvenori (MG), a traditional medicinal herb in China used as a substitute sugar for obese and diabetic patients, exhibited an enhancement of immunity. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is among the acute phase proteins that play an important role in the inflammatory process and have antiinflammatory activities with their antioxidant properties. The hypothesis that MG could modulate an imbalance of the cellular immune system and prevent the progression of diabetes mellitus, via induction of HO-1 protein expression was investigated. Diabetes was induced in male Balb/c mice by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (200 mg/kg). The mice were randomly assigned to non-diabetic and diabetic groups, and further subdivided according to their treatments: control (distilled water), low dose MG (150 mg/kg) and high dose MG (300 mg/kg), which were administered by gavage in 24 h cycles over a 30 day period. MG administration effectively regulated the immune imbalance in diabetic mice, principally by upregulating the CD4(+) T lymphocyte subsets, and remodeling the intracellular cytokine profiles (reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines towards a beneficial Th2 pattern), ascribed to its induction and upregulation of HO-1. In conclusion, MG exhibited antidiabetic effects and may be used as a new natural drug for the treatment of diabetes.

Anticarcinogenic activity of natural sweeteners, cucurbitane glycosides, from Momordica grosvenori.

To search for cancer chemopreventive agents from natural resources, many phytochemicals and food additives have been screened. Consequently, two natural sweeteners, mogroside V and 11-oxo-mogroside V isolated from the fruits of Momordica grosvenori, exhibited strong inhibitory effect on the primary screening test indicated by the induction of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) by a tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). These sweet glycosides, having cucurbitane triterpenoid aglycon, exhibited the significant inhibitory effects on the two-stage carcinogenesis test of mouse skin tumors induced by peroxynitrite (ONOO-) as an initiator and TPA as a promoter. Further, 11-oxo-mogroside V also exhibited the remarkable inhibitory effect on two-stage carcinogenesis test of mouse skin tumor induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) as an initiator and TPA as a promoter.

Inhibitory effects of cucurbitane glycosides and other triterpenoids from the fruit of Momordica grosvenori on epstein-barr virus early antigen induced by tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

Two new triterpene benzoates, 5-dehydrokarounidiol dibenzoate (1) and karounidiol dibenzoate (2), and two new triterpene glycosides, 5alpha,6alpha-epoxymogroside IE(1) (8) and 11-oxomogroside A(1) (9), along with 15 known triterpenoids (one triterpene benzoate, 3; three triterpene mono-ols, 4-6; one triterpene aglycon, 7; and 10 triterpene glycosides, 10-19), were isolated from the ethanol extract of the fruit of Momordica grosvenori. The structures of 1, 2, 8, and 9 were determined on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Among the known triterpene glycosides, mogroside I E(1) (12) was a new naturally occurring compound. Eighteen triterpenoids (2-19) and 11-oxomogrol (20), a hydrolysis product of 9, were evaluated with respect to their inhibitory effects on the induction of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in Raji cells, which is known to be a primary screening test for antitumor promoters. All of the compounds tested showed potent inhibitory effects on EBV-EA induction (70-100% inhibition at 1 x 10(3) mol ratio/TPA).