Food prospects and nutraceutical attributes of Momordica species: A potential tropical bioresources – A review

Plants with potential therapeutic values have been used from time immemorial to cure various ailments and infectious diseases. Of late, scientific evidences have been provided on the potential therapeutic agent exhibited by certain traditionally used vegetable extracts. The importance of wild edible plants may be traced to antiquity but systemic studies are recent. All the Momordica species have been consumed as vegetable and traditionally used for various disorders. The whole plant parts are ascribed to possess the anti-diabetic effect in traditional medicinal system. The active constituents of Momordica plant parts were cucurbitane type triterpenoids, phenolics, glycosides, and several kinds of peptides including Momordica anti-HIV protein (MAP 30). Recent reports revealed the presence of several kinds of cucurbitane type triterpenoids in leaf, stem and fruits of Momordica species having several pharmacological activities. There is lack of scientific information available on the wild species which also having several bioactive components with potential activities. So the present review compares and highlights the current knowledge of the nutritional value, phytochemistry and physiological effects of wild species with known variety.