Three Selected Edible Crops of the Genus Momordica as Potential Sources of Phytochemicals: Biochemical, Nutritional, and Medicinal Values

Mashudu Muronga; Cristina Quispe; Phumudzo P Tshikhudo; Titus A M Msagati; Fhatuwani N Mudau; Miquel Martorell; Bahare Salehi; Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis; Usman Sunusi; Ramla Muhammad Kamal; Javad Sharifi-Rad

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.625546

Three Selected Edible Crops of the Genus Momordica as Potential Sources of Phytochemicals: Biochemical, Nutritional, and Medicinal Values

Front Pharmacol. 2021 May 13:12:625546. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.625546. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Mashudu Muronga¹, Cristina Quispe², Phumudzo P Tshikhudo³, Titus A M Msagati⁴, Fhatuwani N Mudau^{1

5}, Miquel Martorell^{6

7}, Bahare Salehi⁸, Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis^{9

10}, Usman Sunusi^{10

11}, Ramla Muhammad Kamal^{10

12}, Javad Sharifi-Rad^{13

14}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa.
² Facultad de Ciencias De La Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique, Chile.
³ Pest Risk Analysis, Directorate Plant Health, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Pretoria, South Africa.
⁴ Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Unit, College of Science Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Science Campus, Florida, South Africa.
⁵ School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
⁶ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Centre for Healthy Living, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
⁷ Universidad de Concepción, Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico, UDT, Concepción, Chile.
⁸ Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁹ Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
¹⁰ Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
¹¹ Department of Biochemistry, Bayero University Kano P M B, Kano, Nigeria.
¹² Department of Pharmacology, Federal University Dutse, Dutse, Nigeria.
¹³ Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
¹⁴ Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.

Abstract

Momordica species (Family Cucurbitaceae) are cultivated throughout the world for their edible fruits, leaves, shoots and seeds. Among the species of the genus Momordica, there are three selected species that are used as vegetable, and for medicinal purposes, Momordica charantia L (Bitter melon), Momordica foetida Schumach (Bitter cucumber) and Momordica balsamina L (African pumpkin). The fruits and leaves of these Momordica species are rich in primary and secondary metabolites such as proteins, fibers, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc), β-carotene, foliate, ascorbic acid, among others. The extracts from Momordica species are used for the treatment of a variety of diseases and ailments in traditional medicine. Momordica species extracts are reputed to possess anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anthelmintic bioactivity, abortifacient, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and play chemo-preventive functions. In this review we summarize the biochemical, nutritional, and medicinal values of three Momordica species (M. charantia, M. foetida and M. balsamina) as promising and innovative sources of natural bioactive compounds for future pharmaceutical usage.

Keywords: anti-microbial; inter alia; momordica; photochemical; secondary metabolites.

Publication types

Review