Hypoglycemic Activity of Polypeptide-p From a Plant Source

Abstract

A hypoglycemic peptide, Polypeptide-p, has been isolated from fruit, seeds, and tissue of Momordica charantia Linn (bitter gourd). Amino acid analysis indicates a minimum molecular weight of approximately 11,000 (166 residues). Polypeptide-p is a very effective hypoglycemic agent when administered subcutaneously to gerbils, langurs, and humans.