1H NMR-based metabolic study reveals the improvements of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) on energy metabolism in diet-induced obese mouse

Pharm Biol. 2016 Dec;54(12):3103-3112. doi: 10.1080/13880209.2016.1211713. Epub 2016 Aug 19.

Abstract

Context: Obesity can be ameliorated by some natural products such as polyphenol, flavones and saponin. As a typical medicinal plant, Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) (bitter melon, BM) contains these natural chemicals and reduces diet-induced obesity in mice.

Objective: This study evaluates the metabolic effects of dietary BM supplement, investigates a global metabolic profile and determines associated perturbations in metabolic pathways.

Materials and methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with low-fat diet (LFD), high-fat diet (HFD) and HFD supplemented with 5% BM based on 37.6 g/kg body weight in average for 12 weeks, respectively. Then energy metabolism was quantified using PhenoMaster/LabMaster. The spectroscopy of urine was acquired by nuclear magnetic resonance and latent biomarkers were identified. Pattern recognition analysis was used to discriminate associated metabolic profiles.

Results: Dietary BM supplement reduced body weight gain (-0.15-fold, p < 0.01) and blood glucose levels (-0.19-fold, p < 0.01) in HFD-fed mice. Meanwhile, the levels of energy metabolism were enhanced (0.08-0.11-fold, p < 0.01). According to pattern recognition analysis, dietary BM supplement changed metabolic profiles in HFD-fed mice and the modified profiles were similar to those in LFD-fed mice. Finally, the mapping of metabolic pathways showed that dietary BM supplement primarily affected glucose metabolism-associated pathways.

Discussion and conclusion: The results indicated that BM improves weight loss in diet-induced obesity and elevate energy expenditure in HFD-fed mice. The pattern recognition with metabolic study may be used as a noninvasive detection method to assess the effects of dietary BM supplement on mouse energy metabolism.

Keywords: Metabolomic profiling; nuclear magnetic resonance; obesity; pattern recognition analysis.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects*
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Energy Metabolism / drug effects
  • Energy Metabolism / physiology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* / methods
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Obese
  • Momordica charantia*
  • Obesity / drug therapy
  • Obesity / metabolism*
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage*
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Protons

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Protons