Momordicin I, or 3,7,23-trihydroxycucurbitan-5,24-dien-19-al, is a

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

found in the leaves of the

bitter melon ''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon, cerassee, goya, bitter apple, bitter gourd, bitter squash, balsam-pear, karela, karavila and many more #Uses, names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitac ...

vine (''Momordica charantia''), possibly responsible for its reputed medicinal properties. The compound was isolated and characterized in 1984 by M. Yasuda and others M. Yasuda, M. Iwamoto, H. Okabe, and T. Yamauchi (1984), ''A New Cucurbitane Triterpenoid From Momordica charantia'', Chem. Pharm. Bull. volume 32, issue 6, pages 2044-2049 It is a white crystalline solid with formula , that melts at 125–128 °C.N. M. Puspawati (2008)
''Isolation and Identification of Momordicin I from leaves extract of ''Momordica charantia'' L.''
. Jurnal Kimia, volume 2, issue 1, pages 53-56 The compound can be extracted from ground dry leaves by

dichloromethane Dichloromethane (DCM, methylene chloride, or methylene bichloride) is an organochlorine compound with the formula . This colorless, volatile liquid with a chloroform-like, sweet odor is widely used as a solvent. Although it is not miscible with ...

. It is insoluble in water and soluble in

methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical compound and the simplest aliphatic Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with the chemical formula (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often ab ...

. A related

glycoside In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...

momordicoside Momordicoside is any of several related cucurbitane triterpenoid glycosides that can be extracted from the bitter melon vine (''Momordica charantia'').Toshihiro Akihisa, Naoki Higo, Harukuni Tokuda, Motohiko Ukiya, Hiroyuki Akazawa, Yuichi Tochigi, ...

, occurs in the unripe fruit.H. Okabe, Y. Miyahara, and T. Yamauci (1982), ''Studies on the Constituents of ''Momordica charantia'' L.'' Chem. Pharm. Bull., volume 30, issue 12, pages 4334-4340

References

{{reflist Triterpenes Aldehydes Triols

See also

References