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Bitter gourd or bitter melon is a tropical and subtropical wine scientifically known as Momordica charantia is a fellow member of family Cucurbitaceae. It is widely cultivated in Asia, Africa and Caribbean for it is edible fruit which is the bitterest one among the fruits. A number of varieties are known that differ in their shape as well as bitterness of the fruit. The plant fundamentally belongs to tropics but it is native origin is still not known. The plant is characterized by it is herbaceous nature and tendril bearing vine which attains a height of in regards to 5 m. the leaves are alternate, 4-12 cm throughout with 3-7 deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears yellow coloured, discerned male and female flowers. In Northern Hemisphere flowering occurs for the duration of June to July and fruiting for the duration of September to November. The fruit is oblong with warty texture. The fruit is hollow in cross section with a thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed filled cavity bearing a layer of large, flat seeds and pith. The fruit is in general consumed in it is green form or when it starts to appear yellow. At this stage the flesh of fruit is crunchy in texture but bitter. Skin is delicate and edible. Seeds are not bitter and may be got rid of before or after cooking. As the fruit ripens the flesh becomes bitter, distasteful and tougher to be consumed. The pith becomes yellow or red and may be eaten uncooked. When the fruit is to a complete degree ripe it turns yellow and curls and opens to expose the red coloured seeds and pulp. The varieties differ in their shapes and sizes. The typical Chinese phenotype is recognized as 20-30 cm in length, oblong with tapering ends, yellow-green colouration and warty texture. The bitter melon of India is more typical in it is shape and toothed texture. Each 100 grams of bitter gourd yields 79 kilocalories of energy. It is likewise a rich source of carbohydrates, sugars, dietary fiber, fat, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, protein, water, vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium sodium, zinc. They are consumed in cooked form and even the young leaves are likewise employed as leafy vegetables. It is very ordinary allround India and is often cooked with potatoes and served with yoghurt to remove the bitterness. It is likewise served fried in Chinese cuisines. It has been a share of Asian and African conventional medicine systems since ancient times. The plant is known to incorporate various biologically active chemical compounds for example momordicin I and II, and cucurbitacin B. It also holds other chemicals like glycosides and other terpenoid compounds. It likewise holds cytotoxic proteins such as momorcharin and momordin. Like most bitter foods it is claimed to help in effective digestion and thence aid in curing dyspepsia and constipation. It may also cause heartburn and ulcers. The extracts of bitter melon have shown action versus the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans in vitro. The compounds extracted from bitter melon like α-eleostearic acid and 15,16-dihydroxy-α-eleostearic acid have been found to induce apoptosis of leukemia cells in vitro. They are also employed to treat dysentery, colic, fevers, burns, painful menstruation, scabies and other skin problems. The seeds incorporate vicine and may cause favism in susceptible individuals. |
