Effects of Momordica charantia L. supplementation on glycemic control and lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Momordica charantia L. (M. charantia) has been traditionally utilized as a medicinal intervention for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The current study was designed to offer a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the impact of M. Charantia intake on glycemic indexes and the lipid profile of patients with T2DM. A comprehensive search was conducted across several databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, from the inception of each database until April 22, 2023. The Hartung-Knapp adjustment was applied to ensure conservative summary estimates with broad confidence intervals. A total of eight trials involving 423 patients with T2DM were included in this study. Compared to the control group, the intake of M. charantia supplementation resulted in significant reductions in fasting blood glucose (FBG) (WMD: −0.85 mmol/L; 95%CI: −1.44, −0.26; p = 0.005; I2 = 73.4 %), postprandial glucose (PPG) (WMD: −2.28 mmol/L; 95%CI: −3.35, −1.21; p = 0.000; I2 = 66.9 %), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (WMD: −0.38 %; 95%CI: −0.53, −0.23; p = 0.000; I2 = 37.6 %), and total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: −0.38 mmol/L; 95%CI: −0.70, −0.07; p = 0.017; I2 = 63.6 %). These results remained statistically significant even after applying the Hartung-Knapp adjustment. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The findings of this study suggest that M. charantia could serve as a potential alternative for individuals with T2DM, particularly those with elevated total cholesterol levels. However, further high-quality studies are necessary to validate these results.