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Botanical Name |
: |
Momordica charantia L. |
English
Name |
: |
Balsam-Pear, Bitter Gourd, Bitter cucumber, Karela, Leprosy gourd, Bitter cucumber. |
Synonym(s) |
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Momordica chinensis, Momordica elegans, Momordica indica, Momordica operculata, Momordica sinensis. |
Family |
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Cucurbitaceae |
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General Info
| Description |
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Monoecious and annual vine which reach 5 meters long. The stem is 5-ridged and climbs to the trellises and other structures. The leaves are palmately and deeply 5-to-6 -lobed, the base deeply cordate, margin tooth, blade smooth or with fine hairs. The flowers are solitary; the male and female flowers are found in the same plant with a corolla about 2 to 3.5 cm in diameter across, both having apical bracts which are longer in mallet than in female ones, but the flower stalks are longer in females than in male ones, The fruits are variable in length depending on the cultivar but all are narrower towards the stalk, outside is warty, without hairs, green, when ripe orange yellow, the pulp inside orange when ripe, with bright red seed covering enclosing the seed. Seeds are numerous, flattish, brown, the seed coat ornamented. Propagated by seed and underground stems. |
| Herb Effects |
|
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Abortifacient, anthelmintic, contraceptive, emmenagogue, galactagogue, laxative, purgative, tonic, laxative and emetic (leaf), cytotoxic and lowers blood sugar (fruit and seed), lipogenic and antilipolytic (fruit), kills insects (seed oil). |
Chemistry
| Active Ingredients |
|
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Cucurbitacin glycosides and lectins (immature fruit), tetracyclic triterpenes (aerial part and leaf), triterpene glycosides (seed), momordicine and charantin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, ascorbic acid, beta carotene, beta sitosterol, beta sitosterol-D-glucoside, Citrulline, gaba, zeaxanthin (fruit), Linolenic acid, lutein, lycopene. |
| Chemistry
of Active Ingredients |
|
|
|
 |
Name |
CAS# |
IUPAC Name |
Formula |
Structure |
 |
|
| 5-Hydroxytryptamine |
Not Available |
3-(2-aminoethyl)-1H-
indol-5-ol |
C10H12N2O |
|
| Ascorbic Acid |
Not Available |
2-(1,2-dihydroxyethy
l)-4,5-dihydroxy-fur
an-3-one |
C6H8O6 |
|
| Beta Carotene |
7235-40-7 |
3,7,12,16-tetramethy
l-1,18-bis(2,6,6-tri
methyl-1-cyclohexeny
l)-octadec
a-1,3,5,
7,9,11,13,15,17-nona
ene |
C40H56 |
|
| Citrulline |
627-77-0 |
2-amino-5-carbamoyla
mino-pentanoic acid |
C6H13N3O3 |
|
| Gaba |
70582-09-1 |
4-aminobutanoic acid |
C4H9NO2 |
|
| Zeaxanthin |
Not Available |
4-[18-(4-hydroxy-2,6
,6-trimethyl-1-cyclo
hexenyl)-3,7,12,16-t
etramethyl
-octadec
a-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15
,17-nonaenyl]-3,5,5-
trimethyl-cyclohex-3
-e
n-1-ol |
C40H56O2 |
|
| Linolenic acid |
94138-91-7 |
Octadeca-9,12,15-tri
enoic acid |
C18H30O2 |
|
| Lutein |
34445-91-5 |
4-[18-(4-hydroxy-2,6
,6-trimethyl-1-cyclo
hexenyl)-3,7,12,16-t
etramethyl
-octadec
a-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15
,17-nonaenyl]-3,5,5-
trimethyl-cyclohex-2
-e
n-1-ol |
C40H56O2 |
|
| Lycopene |
Not Available |
2,6,10,14,19,23,27,3
1-octamethyldotriaco
nta-2,6,8,10,12,14,1
6,18,20,22
,24,26,3
0-tridecaene |
C40H56 |
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Pharmacology
| Medicinal Use |
|
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In jaundice and as a laxative (leaf); diabetes. rheumatism and snakebite (fruit), diabetes mellitus, eczema, fat loss, fever (malarial), gout, hydrophobia, hyperglycemia, kidney (stone), leprosy, leucorrhea, liver, piles, pneumonia, psoriasis, rheumatism, scabies and skin diseases. Hot water extract of dried root is taken orally to induce abortion. |
| Contraindication |
|
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It lowers blood sugar levels and has abortive and contraceptive effects. |
| Reference |
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|
 Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.
Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.
Uniyal et al., Medicinal Flora of Garhwal Himalayas. |
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