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

• Published in: Industrial crops and products Vol. 95; pp. 365 - 373
• Main Authors: Svobodova, Blanka, Barros, Lillian, Calhelha, Ricardo C., Heleno, Sandrina, Alves, Maria Jose, Walcott, Simone, Bittova, Miroslava, Kuban, Vlastimil, Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2017
• Subjects: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; aerial parts; Anti-inflammatory; Antimicrobial activity; Antioxidant; antioxidant activity; beta-carotene; bleaching; carcinogenesis; Cytotoxicity; diabetes; ethanol; flavonols; glycosides; humans; inflammation; Listeria monocytogenes; medicinal plants; medicine; Momordica charantia; Momordica charantia L; neoplasm cells; neoplasms; nitric oxide; oxidative stress; phenolic acids; Phenolic compounds; screening; thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances; Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago; Cytotoxicity; Antimicrobial activity; Antioxidant; Phenolic compounds; Anti-inflammatory; Momordica charantia L
• ISSN: 0926-6690; 1872-633X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.10.046

[Display omitted] •Crude extract of wild M. charantia revealed multiple biological activities.•Aerial parts are rich in quercetin glycosides and kaempferol glycosides.•Five phenolic compounds were described for the first time in M. charantia.•Inhibition of clinical bacterial isolates was observed.•Reducing power and β-carotene bleaching assay results are comparable to trolox standard. 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.