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KARELA (Momordica Charantia) ITS USE

IN HOMOEOPATHY

AUTHORS:
Dr. Rita Chakraborty,
PROFESSOR, HOD,
DEPT. OF REPERTORY.

Dr. P Chakraborty,
PROFESSOR, HOD,
DEPT OF SURGERY.

Dr. Salini Mandal B.G.,


MD(Part I REPERTORY)
FATHER MULLER HOMOEOPATHIC
MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL,
DERALAKATTE, MANGALORE.

ABSTRACT:
Momordica charantia (Karela) is a medicinal plant which is cultivated all over the India. It has
long been used commonly in ayurvedic system of medicine. The plant has been found to possess
diverse number of biological activities. It is now considered as a valuable source of unique
natural products for development of medicines against various diseases and also for the
development of industrial products. This review reveals the medicinal importance of this drug, its
chemical composition, mode of action and its homoeopathical application.
KEYWORDS: Medicinal plant, M. charantia., Karela, Bitter Melon, Bitter Gourd. Diabetes
Mellitus, Cholera, Constipation, Worm troubles.

Botanical Name : Momordica Charantia


Family Name : Cucurbitaceae
Common Name : Bitter Melon, Bitter Gourd, Balsam Pear, Balsam Apple, Melega Saga,
Kanchala.

Part Used : Fruits, Seeds


Habitat : It is widely cultivated in india.

INTRODUCTION:
Momordica Charantia or Bitter Melon, also known as balsam pear or Karela, is a Tropical
vegetable, and has been used extensively in folk medicine as a remedy for diabetes. In Ayurveda,
the fruit is considered as tonic, stomachic, stimulant, emetic, antibilous,laxative and alterative.
The fruit is useful in gout, rheumatism and subacute
cases of the spleen and liver diseases. It is supposed to purify blood and dissipate melancholia
and gross humours. It has also been shown to have hypoglycaemic properties (anti-diabetic) in
animal as well as human studies.
ORIGIN:
It is widely cultivated in Asia, Africa and South America.
DESCRIPTION:
The bitter gourd is a common vegetable cultivated extensively all over India. It is 10 to 20 cm.
long, tapering at the ends and covered with blunt tubercles. The seeds are white in raw fruits and
become red when
they are ripe. There are two varieties of this vegetable. The large kind is long, oblong and pale
green in color. The other kind is small, little oval and dark green. Both the types are bitter in
taste. They turn reddish-orange when ripe.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION:
Momordica charantia has a non-nitrogenous neutral principle charantin, and on hydrolysis gives
glucose and a sterol. The fruit pulp of M. charantia has soluble pectin but no free pectic acid.
Galactouronic acid is also obtained from the pulp. M.charantia fruits glycosides, saponins,
alkaloids, reducing sugars, resins, phenolic constituents, fixed oil and free acids.
The presence of an unidentified alkaloid and 5-hydroxytryotamine is also reported. The 5HT
content is reported to be present. The ether extract residue of the alcoholic concentrate from the
leaves of M. charantia is reported to reveal hypoglycemic activity comparable to that of
tolbutamide. The pure protein termed as P-insulin extracted from M. charantia fruits in
crystalline form is also tested.
DOCUMENTED PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS:
Anthelmintic, antibacterial, antibiotic, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, antileukemic,
antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antimycobacterial, antioxidant,
antitumor, antiulcer, antiviral, aperitive, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, cytostatic,
cytotoxic, depurative, hormonal, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive, hypotriglyceridemic,
hypoglycemic,immunostimulant, insecticidal, lactagogue, laxative, purgative, refrigerant,
stomachic, styptic, tonic, vermifuge
MECHANISM OF ACTION:
Vicine, charantin and polypeptide - P in both animals and humans increase glucose uptake and
glycogen synthesis in the liver, muscle and adipose tissue and improve glucose tolerance.
Studies with hepatic enzymes in mice revealed reduction in glucose - 6 - phosphatase and
frucose - 1, 6 - bisphosphatase activity and increased glucose oxidation by G6PDH pathway.
Bitter melon displays cytotoxic activity against leukemic cells in vitro (guanylate cyclase

inhibitor).
The MAP30 extract has a cytostatic effect on MDA - MB - 231 human breast cancer cells
xenografted into mice.
MAP30 also demonstrates dose - dependent inhibition of HIV - 1 integrase leading to poor viral
DNA integration, thus inhibiting T lymphocyte and monocytes.
HOMOEOPATHIC PROPERTIES:
Worm troubles, diabetes mellitus, jaundice, constipation, malarial fever, cholera, diarrhoea,
dysmennorhoea.
CHARACTERISTICS.
GIT: The intestines full of yellow watery fluid, discharged explosively, cramps, thirst,
prostration. Worm troubles, Jaundice, gall bladder affection, abdominal rumblings,
accumulation of flatus in splenic flexure of the colon. Cholera, diarrhoea during summer.

FEMALE GENITAL
TRACT:
It has a
griping colic; pain in the back and hypogastrium with painful and excessive menses, griping
colicky pains starting from back and spreading over the abdomen; painful and profuse
menustration with labour like pains followed by gushes of blood; pain at the small of the back
coming towards the front of the pelvis.
Skin disorders like boils, scabies, itching, psoriasis, ring-worm and other fungal diseases.
FEVER: Malarial fever.
DIABETES MELLITUS: Type II, excessive thirst, prostration

Homoeopathic Mother tincture preparation


1. M. charantia in moderately coarse
powder 100g & plant moisture 460 ml -560g
2. Strong alcohol - 600 ml
To make 1000 ml of the tincture.
Potencies

2x contains one part of the Mother Tincture, five parts distilled water and four parts alcohol;
3x and higher with dispensing alcohol.
DOSES: Mother tincture and 3X
Compare: Similar to Crot-t., Elat.
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charantia

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melon http://www.tropilab.com/bittermelondatabase.html

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16. Beneficial effect and mechanism of action of Momordica charantia in the


treatment of diabetes mellitus: a mini review
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Phoenix3, Jaipaul Singh2

17. Momordica charantia for type 2 diabetes mellitus.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20166099


18. Momordica charantia (bitter melon) inhibits primary human adipocyte differentiation by modulating
adipogenic genes.http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/10/34/abstract.

19. The Plant Pathology Journal. Scab of Balsam Pear (Momordica charantia) Caused by Cladosporium
cucumerinum in Korea.

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