Abstract
A B S T R A C T Plant Momordica charantia Linn., known as bitter gourd, belongs to family Cucurbitaceae. It is cultivated throughout India, Malaya, China, Tropical Africa and America. Earlier claims showed that its bitter fruits have carminative, aphrodisiac and anthelmintic properties are used in syphilis, rheumatism, troubles of spleen and ophthalmia. It is also useful in piles, leprosy, jaundice and used as a vermifuge. Literature review reveals that the fruit of plant contains moisture (83.2%), proteins (2.9%), fat (1.0%), carbon (9.8%), fibers (1.7%), mineral matters (1.4%), calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, thiamine, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, ascorbic acid (88 mg/100 g), copper and potassium. Charantin, β-sitosterol-glucoside, stigmast-5, 25-dien-3 β-O-glucoside, stigmast-7, 25-dien-3 β-ol and stigmast-7, 22, 25-trien-3 β-ol are isolated from the fruit. Many pharmacological properties of M. charantia have been reported, including antioxidant, adipogenesis-reducing, antilipolytic, hypoglycemic, antidiabetic, anticancer, antifertility, anthelmintic, antimicrobial, antiviral and hepatoprotective activity. The present review highlights the salient pharmacological uses of Momordica charantia.
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