Momordica: A Functional Food in Disease Prevention

Arpita Devi

doi:10.37591/rrjohs.v7i2.835

Abstract

Momordica is a genus of about 60 species. It is an annual or perennial climber belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a native of tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Australia. As far as the medicinal uses are concerned, Momordica has been used by the American natives for a long time as a treatment of diabetes; to prevent measles, hepatitis; to get rid of worms and parasites and the topical applications are used for healing wounds. It is in fact used in many parts of South America for a wide range of ailments such as malaria, measles, skin problems just to name a few. It is also used as an aphrodisiac and it is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. The young fruits are cooked and consumed in Asian countries as they are rich in carbohydrates, iron, vitamin A and C. In places like Jamaica, the leaves are used as a medicine for spasmodic pains of large intestine. This report compiles all the properties of Momordica. Keywords: Momordica, diabetes, antitumor, apoptosis, abortifactantCite this ArticleDevi A. Momordica: A functional food in disease prevention. Research and Reviews: Journal of Herbal Science. 2018; 7(2): 13–24p.