Medicinal and Health-promoting Properties of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) and Its Extracts

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.