Dhaka, 10th Feb.,’14. In an article titled, “Antidiabetic activity of a triterpenoid saponin isolated from Momordica cymbalaria Fenzl”  of the family Cucurbitaceae, published in the February, ‘14 issue of the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, (Vol. 52, , pp. 46-52), Raju B. Konen and two of his associates report that they have isolated an oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin  from the roots of this plant species. The researchers observed  that the glucose uptake is enhanced  (1mg/mL) by the presence  of the above chemical, namely, oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin in rat insulinoma cell line (RIN-5F) pre-exposed to adrenaline (5 μM) and nifedipine (50 μM). Histological study of pancreas revealed considerable quantitative increase in β-cells (75%) when treated with saponin extracted from the above species of Momordica. Worthy of mention in this context is that another Momordica species, namely, M. charantia is more or less equally effective in controlling hyperglycemia.