The invention provides a method for extracting active therapeutic components from plant materials of the Cyclanthera pedata plant which comprises immersing said plant material containing active components and selected from the group consisting of fruits, flowers, leaves, stems, twigs, bark, wood, buds, seeds, roots, and pods in a solvent for a period of time of about 30 minutes to about 10 hours to achieve transfer of active components from the plant material to the solvent, separating the solvent containing active components from the plant material, and evaporating or distilling the solvent to produce a concentrated fraction containing active components. The invention further includes compositions and therapeutic formulations of such extracts to treat hypercholesterolemia and other high lipid related diseases.