Am J Chin Med. 2006;34(2):279-84. Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii Spreng.) reduces blood cholesterol and glucose levels in ob/ob mice. •

Xie JT, Chang WT, Wang CZ, Mehendale SR, Li J, Ambihaipahar R, Ambihaipahar U, Fong HH, Yuan CS. Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA. We observed that curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) extract possesses the property to decrease blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels in diabetic ob/ob mice. Mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of 80 mg/kg curry leaf extract for 10 consecutive days. The extract significantly decreased blood cholesterol level from 277.6 +/- 16.6 mg/d (day 0) to 182.0 +/- 15.3 mg/d (day 10, p < 0.01 compared with the change in vehicle group). The extract also significantly decreased blood glucose level from 387.0 +/- 15.6 mg/dl (day 0) to 214.0 +/- 26.6 mg/dl (day 10, p < 0.01). In addition, body weight was reduced after extract treatment. Our data suggest that curry leaf may be proved to be of clinical importance in improving the management of high cholesterol level and type 2 diabetes. Publication Types: Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural PMID: 16552838 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] • Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 1996 Jun;49(4):295-9. Biochemical response in rats to the addition of curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) and mustard seeds (Brassica juncea) to the diet.

Khan BA, Abraham A, Leelamma S. Department of Biochemistry, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Trivandrum, India. Three groups with 12 weanling male albino rats were group fed for 90 days on a standard laboratory rat diet plus 20% coconut oil either without a supplement or with the addition of 10% curry leaf or 10% mustard seeds. Feed was offered at a level of 10% body weight. At the end of the trial, measurements were made on the total serum cholesterol, high density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins, and very low density lipoproteins fractions, release of lipoproteins into the circulation, lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity and lipoprotein lipase activity. Feed intake and mean body weight of the rats on each treatment was not significantly different. Both spices resulted in a reduction in total serum cholesterol and LDL + VLDL, an increase in the HDL, lower release of lipoproteins into the circulation and an increase in the LCAT activity. PMID: 8983055 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]