stomachic, aperient, emmenagogue and antiseptic. Its biological activity is spermiostatic.
Momordica balsamina Linn.
Family Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat Punjab, Gujarat, Dehra Dun and Andhra Pradesh.
English Balsam Apple.
Ayurvedic Jangali Karelaa.
Folk b Mokhaa. Chhochhidan (Gujarat).
Action Fruit—applied to burns, haemorrhoids and chapped hands.
Internally, cathartic, hypoglycaemic.
The plant contains a ribosome inactivating protein, momordin II. Methanolic extract of the aerial parts contains phenylpropanoid esters, verbascoside, calceolarioside and rosmarinic acid. The esters exhibited antihypertensive, analgesic and antibacterial activities.
Momordica charantia Linn.
Family Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat Cultivated all over India for its fruits.
Momordica charantia Linn. 419
English Bitter Gourd, Bisam Pear, Carilla.
Ayurvedic Kaaraveilaka, Kaaraveila, Kaathilla, Sushaavi.
Unani Karelaa.
Siddha/Tamil Paakal, Paharkai.
Action Seed/fruit—improves diabetic condition. Fruit—stomachic, laxative, antibilious, emetic, anthelmintic. Used in cough, respiratory diseases, intestinal worms, skin diseases, also for gout and rheumatism. Powdered fruit—applied to wounds and ulcers. Leaf— emetic, antibilious, purgative. Fruit, leaf and root—abortifacient. Leaf and seed—anthelmintic. Root— astringent; appled to haemorrhoids.
Immature fruits gave several non- bitter and bitter momordicosides. Fruits, seeds and tissue culture gave a polypeptide containing amino acids. Fruits also gave 5-hydroxytryptamine, charantin (a steroidal glucoside), diosgenin, cholesterol, lanosterol and betasitosterol. Bitter principles are cucurbitacin glycosides.
Hypoglycaemic effects of the fruit have been demonstrated by blood tests in both humans and animal studies.
Researchers have warned that the fruit extract leads to a false negative test for sugar in the urine (due to its ability to maintain the indicator dye in the glucose oxidase strips and the alkaline copper salts in a
