Medicinal and Health-promoting Properties of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) and Its Extracts
Raza Hussain *
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Rashida Perveen
Department of Allied Health Sciences, Superior University Lahore, Pakistan.
Ayesha Murtaza
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Xue Huali
College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR, China.
Muhammad Sajid Manzoor
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Shoaib Younas
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Itrat Fatima
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Muhammad Naveed Babur
Department of Allied Health Sciences, Superior University Lahore, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Numerous documented researches have been conducted to evaluate the potential of using different plants and herbs as traditional medicines. Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) is an agricultural commodity belonging to the plant kingdom and family Cucurbitaceae. Besides having a higher content of calcium and iron, this plant also possesses considerable numbers of vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, and C. These are great sources of some biologically active compounds such as momordicin I, II, and cucurbitacin B. The salutary perceptions have been also emphasized as they are useful in protecting from cardiovascular conditions such as atherosclerosis thereby, regulating the blood cholesterol level in the body. Bitter gourd entire fruit, seeds, and leaves help lower the fat accumulation and also control the impaired antioxidant status. Though this plant could facilitate the balance effect of anti-HIV drugs, the contents of ration amino sugar variate by declined and inclined, observed in lungs, heart, liver, and spleen during diabetes.
Keywords: Bitter gourd, medicinal usage, curing potential