Bioactive properties and phenolic profile of Momordica charantia L. medicinal plant growing wild in Trinidad and Tobago

Information Systems Division, National Agricultural Library (click here for contact information) The National Agricultural Library is one of four national libraries of the United States, with locations in Beltsville, Maryland and Washington, D.C. It houses one of the world's largest and most accessible agr [...] HOMEPAGE: http://www.nal.usda.gov/ [2017] Svobodova, Blanka Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira Lillian Barros Maria Jose Alves et al. Access the full text: Lookup the document at: google-logo Abstract A wild variety of bitter melon Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) has been used in bush medicine of Trinidad and Tobago for treatment of diabetes, inflammations and cancer. Despite many studies regarding the cultivated bitter melon, the wild variety has been poorly investigated. This study evaluates the biological activities of the ethanol/water extract of aerial parts and correlates these activities with the presence of phenolic compounds. The extract exhibited antioxidant activity in the four assays (DPPH, reducing power, β-carotene bleaching and TBARS). The key role of oxidative stress in inflammation and tumorigenesis was supported by the results of anti-inflammatory (inhibition of nitric oxide production) and cytotoxicity (human tumor cell lines, namely HeLa, HepG2, MCF-7, and NCI-H460) assays. In contrast, no toxicity was observed in non-tumor cells. In the antibacterial screening, clinical resistant isolates were significantly affected (MIC50=10–0.625μg/mL), being Listeria monocytogenes the most susceptible. Three phenolic acids and eleven flavonol glycosides derivatives were identified, quercetin-3-O-pentosylhexoside being the most abundant.