Trial of Momordica charantia Linn (Karela) powder in patients with maturity-onset diabetes.

Powdered whole Aloviordica charantia fruit (bitter gourd) was tried on eight patients suffering from uncomplicated maturity-onset diabetes. The patients were told to take the, powdered drug in milk twice daily at the rate of 50 mg/kg body weight, to continue on the carbohydrate deficient diet as before, and not to take any other medication. The results obtained show that the drug produced a consistent hypoglycaeinic effect in all the patients. The mean blood sugar levels after drug treatment at fasting, 12 hour, 1 hour, hour and 2 hours after 50 g oral glucose were found to be significantly lower than those before starting administration of Karela powder. No adverse side effects were observed in any of these patients (JPMA 32:106, 1982).