Plants Profile

Momordica charantia L.

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Group : Dicot

Family : Cucurbitaceae -

Cucumber family

Duration

: Annual

Growth

Habit : Vine, Forb/herb

Classification Report

Synonyms :

Momordica charantia var. abbreviata Ser.

Momordica muricata Willd.

Momordica zeylanica Mill.

Bangla/Vernacular Name :

Karolla, Uchhe, Usta

Tribal Name :

Tit korola (Rakhaing), Titkorolla (Marma), Achamasi (Khumi), Tit gula (Chakma), Belati

Tira Gula (Tanchangya)

Common Name :

Bitter Ground, Carilla Fruit

Taxonomic Hierarchy :

Kingdom Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons

Subclass Dilleniidae

Order Violales

Family Cucurbitaceae - Cucumber family

Genus Momordica L. - momordica

Species Momordica charantia L. - balsampear

Short Description :

Climbers with tuberous roots having white spots. Leaves alternate, simple, deeply lobed.

Flowers in panicles, unisexual, yellow. Fruits berries, fusiform with numerous triangular

tubercles, orange red when ripe. Seeds flat, corrugate margined, stony. Cultivated in

Marginal land.

Chemical Constituents :

Leaves have been reported to contain two acidic resins, a number of bitter substances,

momordicines I, II and III; three new cucurbitane triterpenoids and γ-aminobutyric acid.

They also contain large quantities of essential amino acids, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin,

niacin, ascorbic acid and minerals. Fruits contain a large number of steroidal compounds,

saponins, two bitter cucurbitacin glycosides, momordicosides K and L, four non-bitter

cucurbitacin glycoside, momordicosides F1, F2, G and I and a mixture of acylglucosyl

sterols. Fruits also contain the alkaloid momordicine, phenolic compounds, proteins, amino

acids and vitamins of B group, ascorbic acid, minerals and a neutral non-nitrogenous

principle, charantin. They also contain glucosides of β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Seeds

contain a purgative fixed oil consisting of esters of stearic, oleic, linoleic and α-eleostearic

acids, β-sitosterol glucoside and a number of triterpene glycosides. They also contain

albumin, globulin, glutelin, vitamin B, carotene and α-aminobutyric acid. The entire plant

has been reported to contain a trace amount of alkaloids, saponins and orthophthalic acid.

An insulin-like peptide has been reported in this plant (Ghani, 2003).

Using Information :

Fresh fruits and leaves are cooked as vegetable. Warmed leaf is applied to the affected are

to treat the body pain (Khumi) [Uddin, 2010].

The fruits, leaves and roots have long been used as a folk remedy for diabetes mellitus.

Fruits are tonic, stomachic, febrifuge, carminative, anthelmintic and cooling; used in

rheumatism, gout, piles, leprosy and diseases of liver and spleen. Ripe fruit is a drastic

purgative. Juice of the fruit if taken 3-4 times brings the stool loose. The seeds are used as

anthelmintic. Leaves and fruits are used for the treatment of migraine and burning soles.

Leaves are anthelminitic and mild purgative; useful in piles, leprosy, and jaundice; an

infusion of the leaves is taken for contusions. The pounded leaves mixed with some fatty

material are made into an ointment, which is useful in scabies and other skin diseases;

leaves are crushed and steeped into water which is then given internally as a remedy for

diarrhoea and dysentery. Roots are considered astringent, and useful in haemorrhoids.

Decoction of the root is used for the treatment of peptic ulcer. An alcoholic extract of the

plant is used as a stomachic against colic and fever.

Distribution :

Cultivated throughout Bangladesh.

Plants Profile

Abelmoschus moschatus (L.)Medik

Group : Dicot

Family : Malvaceae - Mallow

family

Duration : Perennial

Growth

Habit : Subshrub, Shrub

Classification Report

Synonyms :

Hibiscus abelmoschus L.

Abelmoschus moschatus Medik.

Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. moschatus.

Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus (Span.) Borss. Waalk.

Bangla/Vernacular Name :

Mushakdana, Kalokasturi

Tribal Name :

Konigaas (Chakma), Bacchama (Tripura), Taowi-akangnay (Khumi)

Common Name :

Musk mallow.

Taxonomic Hierarchy :

Kingdom Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons

Subclass Dilleniidae

Order Malvales

Family Malvaceae - Mallow family

Genus Abelmoschus Medik. - okra

Species Abelmoschus moschatus Medik. - musk okra

Subspecies Abelmoschus moschatus Medik. - musk okra Subspecies

Variety Abelmoschus moschatus Medik. - musk okra Variety

Short Description :

Herbs or undershrubs up to 3m high. Leaves orbicular-elliptic, angular or 3-7-palmilobed.

Flowers solitary, axillary, yellow. Capsules ovoid to oblong.

Chemical Constituents :

Roots, leaves, fruits and seeds contain mucilage. Leaves, flower petals and fruit husk

contain β-sitosterol and its glycosides. Flowers contain flavonoids, myricetin, its glucoside

and cannabistrin and petals contain myricetin and its glucoside. Seeds contain

phospholipids and essential oil. Seed oil contains 18.90% of linoleic acid (Ghani, 2003).

Farnesol and lactone of ambrettolic acid are also present in Ecuador plants (Asolkar et al.,

1992).

Using Information :

Leaves of Abelmoschus moschatus, whole plants of Bogotori and Thladiantha cordifolia

are crushed together and applied to wounds for the treatment of healing wounds (Chakma)

[Rahman, 2007]

Root/seed extract is mixed with honey is applied to tongue for the treatment of tongue sore

(Khumi) [Uddin, 2010].

The bark along with sugar or molasses is given in dysentery in Jointiapur of Sylhet (Yusuf,

2009).

Seeds are cooling, demulcent, diuretic, stimulant, carminative, stomachic, antispasmodic,

aphrodisiac and tonic; in the form of paste it is useful in leucoderma; along with milk seed

paste is used to cure itch. Infusion, decoction or tincture of the seeds is useful in stomatitis,

atonic dyspepsia, nervous debility, hysteria and other nervous disorders. They are used as a

drink in fevers, gonorrhoea and as an inhalation in hoarseness and dryness of the throat.

Mucilage prepared from the root and leaves is recommended in gonorrhoea and venereal

diseases. Fresh juice of the plant is febrifuge and expectorant.

Distribution :

Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sylhet and Northern districts in fallow lands and forest

outskirts.

Refernce: http://ethnobotanybd.com/