TRITERPENOIDS FROM THE FRUITS OF BITTER MELON AND THEIR POTENTIAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a traditional medicinal and functional food highly valued for its diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant effects. Phytochemical studies of the fruits of M. charantia led to the isolation of three triterpenoid saponins (1-3). Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic data, including HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, as well as comparison with reference compounds. In particular, their compounds were identified as 3β-malonyl-7β,23-dimethoxycucurbita-5,24-dien-19-al (1), 3β-malonyl-7β-hydroxy-25-methoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-19-al (2), and 3β-malonyl-7β,25-dihydroxycucurbita-5,23-dien-19-al (3), respectively. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of these substances, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines—IL-6, IL-12p40, and TNF-α—was tested in LPS-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). The data showed that the activity of compound 1 was higher than that of the selected drug adezmapimod, which served as the positive control. The findings suggest the potential in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of secondary metabolites from M. charantia. However, further investigations, including in vivo and in silico studies, are necessary to verify the therapeutic anti-inflammatory potential of these chemical constituents.