Bitter But Beneficial Bitter Melon

Bitter gourd or bitter melon is a tropical and subtropical wine scientifically known as Momordica charantia is a member of family Cucurbitaceae. It is widely cultivated in Asia, Africa and Caribbean for its edible fruit which is the bitterest one amongst the fruits. A number of varieties are known that differ in their shape as well as bitterness of the fruit. The plant basically belongs to tropics but its native origin is still not known.

The plant is characterized by its herbaceous nature and tendril bearing vine which attains a height of about 5 m. the leaves are alternate, 4-12 cm across with 3-7 deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears yellow coloured, separate male and female flowers. In Northern Hemisphere flowering occurs during June to July and fruiting during 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 generally consumed in its 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 can be removed 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 can be eaten uncooked. When the fruit is fully 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 its shape and toothed texture. Each 100 grams of bitter gourd yields 79 kilocalories of energy. It is also 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 also used as leafy vegetables. It is very popular throughout India and is often cooked with potatoes and served with yoghurt to remove the bitterness. It is also served fried in Chinese cuisines.

It has been a part of Asian and African traditional medicine systems since ancient times. The plant is known to contain several biologically active chemical compounds for example momordicin I and II, and cucurbitacin B. It also contains other chemicals like glycosides and other terpenoid compounds. It also contains cytotoxic proteins such as momorcharin and momordin. Like most bitter foods it is claimed to help in effective digestion and thus help in curing dyspepsia and constipation. It can also cause heartburn and ulcers. The extracts of bitter melon have shown activity against the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans in vitro. The compounds extracted from bitter melon like a-eleostearic acid and 15,16-dihydroxy-a-eleostearic acid have been found to induce apoptosis of leukemia cells in vitro. They are also used to treat dysentery, colic, fevers, burns, painful menstruation, scabies and other skin problems. The seeds contain vicine and can cause favism in susceptible individuals.