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Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) extract suppresses cytokineinduced activation of MAPK and NF-κB in pancreatic β-Cells

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Abstract

Previously, the aqueous ethanolic extract (AEE) of unripe fruit of bitter melon (BM; Momordica charantia) was demonstrated to inhibit cytokine-induced apoptosis via modulating Bcl-2 family and caspase cascades in MIN6N8 pancreatic β-cells. Here, it was sought to determine whether the anti-apoptotic effect of AEE-BM is mediated by suppressing the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), major upstream effectors of Bcl-2 family and caspase cascades, in cytokine-treated MIN6N8 cells. The results exhibited that the AEE-BM suppressed the activation of MAPKs including stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK), p38, and p44/42, and the activity of NF-κB. The findings suggest that BM protects pancreatic β-cells through down-regulation of MAPKs and NF-κB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Functional Food Technology Research Group, Research Division for Emerging Innovative Technology, Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 463-746, Korea

    Kyong Kim & Hye Young Kim

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  1. Kyong Kim
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  2. Hye Young Kim
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Correspondence to Hye Young Kim.

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Kim, K., Kim, H.Y. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) extract suppresses cytokineinduced activation of MAPK and NF-κB in pancreatic β-Cells. Food Sci Biotechnol 20, 531–535 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-011-0074-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-011-0074-x

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