Food prospects and nutraceutical attributes of Momordica species: A potential tropical bioresources – A review

Abstract

Plants with potential therapeutic values have been used from time immemorial to cure various ailments and infectious diseases. Of late, scientific evidences have been provided on the potential therapeutic agent exhibited by certain traditionally used vegetable extracts. The importance of wild edible plants may be traced to antiquity but systemic studies are recent. All the Momordica species have been consumed as vegetable and traditionally used for various disorders. The whole plant parts are ascribed to possess the anti-diabetic effect in traditional medicinal system. The active constituents of Momordica plant parts were cucurbitane type triterpenoids, phenolics, glycosides, and several kinds of peptides including Momordica anti-HIV protein (MAP 30). Recent reports revealed the presence of several kinds of cucurbitane type triterpenoids in leaf, stem and fruits of Momordica species having several pharmacological activities. There is lack of scientific information available on the wild species which also having several bioactive components with potential activities. So the present review compares and highlights the current knowledge of the nutritional value, phytochemistry and physiological effects of wild species with known variety.

Inhibitory effects of wild bitter melon leaf extract on Propionibacterium acnes-induced skin inflammation in mice and cytokine production in vitro

“…30 Nagarani et al recently reported that the ethanolic extract of M. charantia leaf exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and significantly reduces the rat paw edema induced by carrageenan. 31 A recent study suggests that WBM fruit supplementation ameliorates system inflammation responses in LPSinduced sepsis mice by reducing splenic pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations. 32 However, the effect of WBM leaf extracts on systemic inflammation is unclear and worthy of further investigation.…”

Composition of Water Extract from Wild Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Fruit for application as Antifeedant and Mortality Test on Armyworm Larvae (Spodoptera litura Fab.)

“…This was in accordance with Sundari, Padmawati and Ruslan (1996) who reported that bitter gourd flesh contained steroid/triterpenoid. Nagarani, et al (2014) also stated that other parts of bitter gourd plants contained cucurbitane triterpenoids, phenolic compounds, glucoside and several types of peptides. However, Nagarani, et al (2014) regretted that there was still very little information about bioactive compounds in wild bitter gourd.…”

Anatomical Study and Characterization of Metabolites in Leaves of Momordica charantia L.

“…1 Momordica species are vegetable crops which comprise of medium-sized plants that are widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions. 2 Among them stands out M. charantia L., a herbaceous climbing plant, 3-4 m long. It is commonly known as "bitter gourd" or "bitter melon" in English and "Melão-de-são-caetano" in Brazil, where it is cultivated for consumption as fruits and vegetables.…”