Momordica Charantia: For Traditional Uses and Pharmacological Actions

Abstract

Momordica charantia is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family is known as bitter melon, karela, and pare. It grows in tropical areas of the Amazon, , Asia, South America India, East Africa and Caribbean, and is used traditionally as both food and medicine. The fruit ripens, the flesh (rind) becomes slightly tougher and bitterer, and many think it too repulsive to eat. On the other hand, the pith becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state, and is a popular part in some Southeast Asian salads .Momordica charantia have provided many remedies for various diseases from ancient days to now a day. It has been used in various Asian traditional medicines for the treatment of cholera, anemia, diarrhea blood diseases, bronchitis, gout, dysentery, gonorrhea rheumatism, ulcer, colic, worms, disease of liver and spleen, cancer and diabetes etc.In preliminary phytochemical analysis we observed glycosides, phytosterols, alkaloids, phenolic, saponins compounds, fats, proteins, and fixed oils, flavonoids, and thin layer chromatography (TLC) was also performed. The medicinal values of Bitter melon lies in the bioactive phytochemical constituents that are non nutritive chemicals that produce clear-cut physiological effects on human body and protect them from various diseases. Juice of Momordica charantia the leaves used to treat piles totally. Momordica charantia is used as a blood purifier due to its bitter tonic properties.

ANTHER-DERIVED CALLUS FORMATION IN BITTER MELON (Momordica charantia L.) AS INFLUENCED BY MICROSPORE DEVELOPMENT STAGE AND MEDIUM COMPOSITION

“…Момордика (Momordica charantia L., сем. Cucurbitaceae) -экономически значимая сельскохозяйственная культура, которую возделывают в тропических и субтропических странах Южной Америки, Азии и Африки (1,2). В странах Азии момордику можно выращивать в течение всего года (3).…”

An update review on the anthelmintic activity of bitter gourd, Momordica charantia

“…[ 8 ] The vernacular names of M. charantia include bitter melon, bitter gourd, balsam pear, or African cucumber (English); kyethinkhathee (Burmese); lai pu tao, ku gua (Chinese); balsamagurk (Danish); margose, momordique amere (French); balsambirne (German); karela, tita kerala (Hindi); paria, pare (Indonesian); pomo meraviglia (Italian); niga uri, tsuru reishi (Japanese); mreah (Khmer); kaypa (Malayalam); karli (Marathi); karelaa (Nepalese); karavelli (Sanskrit); karavila, pavakai (Sinhalese); balsam, Momordica amarga (Spanish); bittergurka (Swedish); kakara (Telugu); mara (Thai); and la khoqua (Vietnamese). [ 9 10 ]…”

The effect of Momordica on wound healing

“…Bitkinin yapraklarının su, ethanol ve methanol ile elde edilen ekstraktlarının E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Strcptobacillus, Streptococcus, H.pylori, Parasitic organisms, E. Histolytica, Piasmodium falciparum gibi birçok gram negatif ve gram pozitif mikroorganizmaya karşı geniş spekturumlu antibakteriyel etkiye sahip olduğu belirtilmektedir [16,23,[48][49][50]. Kudret narının tohumundaki esansiyel yağ asitlerinin trans-nerolidol içermesi bitkinin antibakteriyel etkisinden sorumludur [26].…”