Bitter melon extract, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been tested and found to protect β-cells and increase insulin production in new research presented by Dr Pingfan Rao, Fuzhou University, China.

Rao is visiting Melbourne to present his findings at the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Inc. (AIFST) 40th Anniversary Convention this week.

“In traditional Chinese medicine, herbs undergo maillard reaction during sun-drying and boiling, to extract dark colour tonics as remedies. In spite of their prominent presence, maillard reaction products (MRPs) have never been linked to therapeutic effects,” he said.

The scientific team tested bitter melon extract (Mormodica Charantia Extract), an anti-diabetic herbal remedy prepared by boiling extraction of sun-dried fruits.

“The MRPs were found to release reducing agents and bind to the membrane of pancreatic cells and when these cells were treated with MCE prior to alloxan damage, insulin secretion increased by 160% compared to the untreated group.

“Electron microscopic observation of the pancreatic tissue of GK/Crj type II diabetic rats after one month administration of Mormodica Charantia Extract confirmed the extract’s repairing effect on the defective β-cells.”

Rao says that based on China’s rich heritage of traditional medicine, his team is now using modern technology to analyze traditional herbs that they hope in the future will lead to new functional foods and possibly the synthetic production of traditional Chinese medicine.


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