Momordica charantia L.: Nutritional Composition, Advanced Extraction Methods, Phytochemistry, Molecular Mechanisms and Industrial Applications

Antioxidants, vol. 15, pp. 839

Abstract

Momordica charantia L. is a medicinal plant rich in bioactive compounds, including steroidal glycosides, flavonoids, phenolics, triterpenoids, saponins, and polysaccharides, which exhibit antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and anticancer activities. This review summarizes its nutritional and phytochemical composition, green extraction technologies, molecular mechanisms, and industrial applications based on literature from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and other scientific databases. Ultrasound-assisted extraction is an efficient and eco-friendly method that provides higher recovery of bioactive compounds from M. charantia and improved bioavailability compared with enzyme-assisted, microwave-assisted, and conventional methods. The phytochemicals of M. charantia regulate oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and glucose homeostasis. Studies show that its antidiabetic effects involve improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced glucose uptake, and inhibition of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes. These compounds also exhibit antioxidant activity through free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. M. charantia further demonstrates anticancer activity by inducing apoptosis, causing cell-cycle arrest, and downregulating proliferation pathways in several cancer cell lines, including MCF-7, HCT-116, HepG2, A549, and PANC-1. Beyond medicinal uses, it is applied in the food industry as a functional ingredient in products such as yogurt, cookies, pickles, bread, juice, oil, and beverages. Overall, M. charantia shows strong potential for therapeutic applications, including functional foods and pharmaceutical formulations targeting diabetes, inflammation, liver diseases, and cancer; however, further studies are needed to confirm its clinical efficacy.

Authors 9

1. Asad Abbas

   Bahauddin Zakariya University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan

   Multan College of Nutritional Sciences, Multan Medical and Dental College, Multan 60000, Pakistan

2. Saeed Vohra corresponding

   Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Anatomy and Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia

3. Ralf Weiskirchen corresponding Aachen Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC)

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, D-52074 Aachen, Germany

4. Areesha Shoukat
   Affiliation as printed

   Multan College of Nutritional Sciences, Multan Medical and Dental College, Multan 60000, Pakistan

5. Muhammad Khurram Afzal

   Bahauddin Zakariya University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan

6. Adan Ijaz
   Affiliation as printed

   Multan College of Nutritional Sciences, Multan Medical and Dental College, Multan 60000, Pakistan

7. Nimra Anees

   Bahauddin Zakariya University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan

8. Anis Ahmad Chaudhary

   Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia

9. Abdulrahman Mohammed Alhudhaibi

   Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia