RESUMEN
Momordica charantia (MC) fruit was subjected to phytochemical and pharmacological interaction studies with oral hypoglycemis in NIDDM patients. Phytochemical, chromatographical analysis and extraction of methanolic MC fruit soft (semi-solid form) in CCl4 + C6H6 solvent system yielded 15 diverse chemical constituents--alkaloids, glycosides, aglycone, tannin, sterol, phenol and protein. The CCl4 + C6H6 MC soft extract was used orally in a dose of 200 mg twice daily (BD) for pharmacological interactions with two diversely acting oral hypoglycemic agents--1) metformin BD and 2) glibenclamide BD in 15 patients of either sex (52-65 years of age) of NIDDM. It was observed that with CCl4 + C6H6 MC soft extract plus half doses of metformin or glibenclamide or both in combination caused hypoglycemia greater than that caused by full doses used in the study with 7 days treatment. Conclusively the extract acts in synergism with oral hypoglycemics and potentiates their hypoglycemia in NIDDM.