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Bitter Gourd

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Antioxidants in Vegetables and Nuts - Properties and Health Benefits

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Abstract

Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) is utilized as traditional medicinal plant and food in Indo-China and Southeast Asia. This nutrient plant-based food contains abundant of bioactive components such as polypeptide, minerals vitamins, alkaloids, flavonoids, isoflavones, terpenes, anthroquinones, and glucosinolates. In the present study, physicochemical properties, nutritional values, and health promoting phytochemicals, as well as value added products of bitter gourd are described. Majority of the bioactive compounds in bitter gourd confer bitter taste. A large number of value-added products can be prepared from bitter gourd such as bitter gourd juice, slices, pickle, dried rings, and chips. These valued products in addition to being healthy are more palatable than raw fruit, thus increasing consumption of this bitter fruit. Hence, besides having the health-enhancing properties, it might be considered proficient option in value-added foodstuffs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Technology School of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India

    Bisma Jan

  2. Dr. Khim Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Qurat ul eain Hyder Rizvi

  3. Division of Food Science and Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Rafeeya Shams

  4. Department of Food Technology, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Aamir Hussain Dar & Shafat Ahmad Khan

  5. Department of Food Science and Technology, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Sonipat, Haryana, India

    Anurag Singh

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  1. Bisma Jan
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  2. Qurat ul eain Hyder Rizvi
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  3. Rafeeya Shams
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  4. Aamir Hussain Dar
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  5. Anurag Singh
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  6. Shafat Ahmad Khan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science & Technology, Government Degree College, Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Gulzar Ahmad Nayik

  2. Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Amir Gull

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Jan, B., Rizvi, Q.u.e.H., Shams, R., Dar, A.H., Singh, A., Khan, S.A. (2020). Bitter Gourd. In: Nayik, G.A., Gull, A. (eds) Antioxidants in Vegetables and Nuts - Properties and Health Benefits. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7470-2_9

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