Bitter Gourd :Chemical Constituents, Health Benefits and Synonyms

TAGS
Bitter Gourd : Chemical Constituents, Benefits and Uses

Bitter Gourd : Chemical Constituents, Benefits and Uses

Morphology and Distribution of Bitter Gourd:

Bitter gourd consists of the fresh green fruits of the plant Momordica charantia belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. Bitter Gourd is also known by other names like Karela and Momordica.

Bitter Gourd is an annual or perennial climber found throughout the India. It is cultivated regularly as a vegetable.

See also  Tomatoes - Highly Nutritive Fruits for Good Health

The bitter gourds are light to dark green in colour and are extremely bitter in taste.

Chemical constituents in Bitter Gourd:

The leaves and fruits of bitter gourd contains charantin. Charantin is a steroidal saponin and it has blood sugar lowering activity. These fruits also contain a cathartic principle known as momordicin.

See also  Beetroot health benefits and other uses

Other constituents in the drug are carbohydrates, mineral matter, ascorbic acid, alkaloids, glucoside, saponins and mucilage.

Medicinal Uses and Health Benefits of Bitter Gourd :

  • Stomachic
  • Carminative
  • Tonic
  • Cooling agent
  • Used in the treatment of Rheumatism and Gout.
  • Used for spleen and liver disorders
  • Fruits as well as juice from them lowers the blood sugar levels.
  • Used for the treatment of Diabetes mellitus.
  • Cathartic
See also  Colchicum helps to treat Rheumatic Diseases and Medicinal Uses

Synonyms of Bitter gourd :

  • Hindi – Karela
  • Bengali – Karela
  • Marathi – Karle
  • Sanskrit – Sushari
  • Tamil – Pakal
  • Telugu – Kakarakay
  • Kannada – Hagul
  • Malayalam – Kaippavalli
  • Oriyan – Kalara
CATEGORIES
TAGS
Share This