Abstract
Momordica species (Family Cucurbitaceae) are cultivated throughout the world for their edible fruits, leaves, shoots and seeds. Among the species of the genus Momordica, there are three selected species that are used as vegetable, and for medicinal purposes, Momordica charantia L (Bitter melon), Momordica foetida Schumach (Bitter cucumber) and Momordica balsamina L (African pumpkin). The fruits and leaves of these Momordica species are rich in primary and secondary metabolites such as proteins, fibers, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc), β-carotene, foliate, ascorbic acid, among others. The extracts from Momordica species are used for the treatment of a variety of diseases and ailments in traditional medicine. Momordica species extracts are reputed to possess anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anthelmintic bioactivity, abortifacient, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and play chemo-preventive functions. In this review we summarize the biochemical, nutritional, and medicinal values of three Momordica species (M. charantia, M. foetida and M. balsamina) as promising and innovative sources of natural bioactive compounds for future pharmaceutical usage.
Highlights
Momordica charantia L. (Bitter melon), Momordica foetida Schumach. (Bitter cucumber), Momordica balsamina L. (African pumpkin) are widely cultivated and they belong to the family Cucurbitaceae (Daniel et al, 2014)
As a rigorous and unbiased method of evaluating and screening the literature attributed to its replicability and exhaustiveness, it is a method of choice suitable for summarizing the current literature on the three Momordica spp (M. charantia, M. foetida and M. balsamina)
Several studies demonstrated that these important plants have the potential to be utilized for medicinal purposes as they exhibit anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anthelmintic, abortifacient, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and chemopreventive activities
Summary
Momordica charantia L. (Bitter melon), Momordica foetida Schumach. (Bitter cucumber), Momordica balsamina L. (African pumpkin) are widely cultivated and they belong to the family Cucurbitaceae (Daniel et al, 2014). Momordica species (spp.) are annual crops but can be regarded as perennial crop due to their performance during the season (Krawinkel and Keding, 2006; Tan et al, 2008; Costa et al, 2010; Chen et al, 2011; Abegunde et al, 2018). These crop species are mostly adapted to areas of minimum annual average rainfall such as those that receive an average of 400 mm as well as those with mild and frost-free winters (Tokhtar and Doan, 2014). Studies on the trend of food consumption for rural residents in developing countries have often focused relatively on the economic factors such as prices, income, and market development Jia et al (2017), and have rarely covered social and psychological influences
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