Momordica

Momordica
Momordica
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Subfamily: Cucurbitoideae
Tribe: Joliffieae
Subtribe: Thladianthinae
Genus: Momordica
L.
Species

See text.
Synonyms
  • Calpidosicyos Harms
  • Dimorphochlamys Hook.f.
  • Dimorphoclamys Hook.f.
  • Eulenburgia Pax
  • Muricia Lour.
  • Neurosperma Raf.
  • Neurospermum Bartl., orth. var.
  • Nevrosperma Raf., orth. var.
  • Raphanistrocarpus (Baill.) Pax
  • Raphanocarpus Hook.f.
  • Zucca Comm. ex Juss.
Momordica boivinii flower

Momordica is a genus of about 60 species of annual or perennial climbers herbaceous or rarely small shrubs belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, natives of tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia and Australia. Most species produce floral oils and are visited by specialist pollinators in the apid tribe Ctenoplectrini.

Cultivation and uses

Some Momordica species are grown in cultivation for their fleshy fruit, which are oblong to cylindrical in shape, orange to red in colour, prickly or warted externally, and in Momordica charantia burst when ripe, generally with elastic force, into irregular valves.

Momordica charantia (bitter melon, Chinese: ku gua 苦瓜) is native to Africa but has been used in Chinese folk medicine for centuries as a 'bitter, cold' herb, and has recently been brought into mainstream Chinese medicine as well as natural medical traditions around the world. Recent research has shown that the immature fruit might have some antibiotic, anticancer, and antiviral properties, particularly well suited for use in treatment of malaria, HIV, and diabetic conditions (the use of Momordica fruit is contraindicated in a number of conditions, especially pregnancy - all Chinese medicinals should be used only under the supervision of a trained herbalist of Traditional Chinese Medicine).

“ The effect of Momordica charantia on glucose and insulin concentrations was studied in nine non-insulin-dependent diabetics and six non-diabetic rats. These results show that it might improve glucose tolerance in diabetes but much more research is needed. Doctors supervising Asian diabetics should be aware of the fruit's hypoglycemic properties.[1] ”

The leaves and seeds have additional medical applications.

Accepted species

Momordica angolensis R.Fernandes
Momordica angustisepala Harms
Momordica anigosantha
Hook.f.
Momordica balsamina L.
Momordica boivinii Baill.
Momordica cabrae (Cogn.) C.Jeffrey
Momordica calantha Gilg
Momordica camerounensis Keraudren
Momordica charantia L. - Bitter melon
Momordica cissoides Planch. ex Benth.
Momordica clarkeana King
Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. - Gac
Momordica corymbifera Hook.f.
Momordica cymbalaria Hook.f.
Momordica denticulata Miq.
Momordica denudata C.B.Clarke
Momordica dioica Roxb. ex Willd.
Momordica enneaphylla Cogn.
Momordica foetida Schumach.
Momordica glabra Zimmerman
Momordica henriquesii Cogn.
Momordica involucrata E.Mey.
Momordica jeffreyana Keraudren

   

Momordica laotica Gagnep.
Momordica leiocarpa Gilg
Momordica littorea Thulin
Momordica macrophylla Gage
Momordica mannii Hook.f.
Momordica mossambica H.Schaef.
Momordica multiflora Hook.f.
Momordica obtusisepala Keraudren
Momordica parvifolia Cogn.
Momordica peteri A.Zimm.
Momordica pterocarpa Hochst.
Momordica repens Bremek.
Momordica rostrata A.Zimm.
Momordica sessilifolia Cogn.
Momordica silvatica Jongkind.
Momordica spinosa Chiov.
Momordica suringarii Cogn.
Momordica trifoliolata Hook.f.
Momordica welwitschii Hook.f.

List sources [2][3]

References

  1. ^ British Medical Journal-Clinical Research 282(6279); 1823-4 6 June 1981. See also J Ethnopharmacol 2003; 88(1): 107-111; Acta Biologica et Medica Germanica 41(12):1229-40 1982; and Jiratchariyakul, W., et al. "HIV inhibitor from Thai bitter gourd." Planta Med. June 2001; 67(4): 350-3.
  2. ^ GRIN. "Species in GRIN for genus Momordica". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?7719. Retrieved October 22, 2009. 
  3. ^ "Plant Name Query Results for Momordica". IPNI. http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/advPlantNameSearch.do?find_family=&find_genus=Momordica&find_species=&find_infrafamily=&find_infragenus=&find_infraspecies=&find_authorAbbrev=&find_includePublicationAuthors=on&find_includePublicationAuthors=off&find_includeBasionymAuthors=on&find_includeBasionymAuthors=off&find_publicationTitle=&find_isAPNIRecord=on&find_isAPNIRecord=false&find_isGCIRecord=on&find_isGCIRecord=false&find_isIKRecord=on&find_isIKRecord=false&find_rankToReturn=spec&output_format=normal&find_sortByFamily=on&find_sortByFamily=off&query_type=by_query&back_page=plantsearch. Retrieved October 22, 2009. 


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