INTRODUCTION:

Momordica Dioica Roxb. Ex. Willd is a dioceous climbing creeper that is a perennial member of the Cucurbitaceae family. It is frequently referred to as parora, kakara, and spiny groud¹. June to July is when flowers bloom, and September to November is when fruit is produced². The plant's leaves are widely ovate, simple membraneous, and vary in length from 3.8 to 10 cm by 3.2 to 8cm.

They are cordate at the base, deeply lobed in three to five triangular lobes, punctuated, complete but distantly denticulate, and have a petiole that is 1.3 to 4.5cm long, channelled above pubescent and glandular³. Male flowers are yellow and solitary, reaching a length of 2.8 cm⁴. Petals are lanceolate, oblong, and range in length from 1.3 to 2.5cm. The calyx is linear oblong and has five lobed⁵. Corolla has three stamens and five partite. Male flowers have three joined glands, ovary coated with long soft papillae, several ovuled, ellipsoid ovules, and a single, tiny bract below the middle of the peduncle, calyx, and corollas. Female flowers have no staminodes. The yellow fruit has a short beak, is obtuse with a red kernel inside, is thickly echi- nate with soft spines, and turns green and yellow when it reaches maturity. The crimson pulp en- cases the slightly and unevenly corrugated, spherical, broadly ellipsoid seeds. The stem is gla- brous, shiny, wrinkled, branching, and slender. The tendrils are glabrous, simple, and long⁶. This climbing creeper is typically found in the Himalayas of India, Pakistan, and Ceylo. reported as high as 1500 meters in the Meghalayan Garo Hills and Assam⁷. The Indo- Malayan region is where the cucurbitaceous crop kakrol first appeared.^8,9.

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the industry centred around medicinal plants. Even in light of significant breakthroughs in modern medicine, this increase, which is happening at an annual growth rate of 7–15%, demonstrates a growing interest in these natural re- sources on a global scale. Another crucial field of research is the investigation of novel medications made from natural ingredients. Numerous scientific investigations have been prompted by the growing recognition of medicinal plants as possible therapeutic agents. Traditional medical methods in many parts of Asia and Africa have made use of the Momordica species in particular .Within the complex cultural frameworks of tribal societies, indigenous knowledge emphasizes the critical role that wild plant foods play, especially in treating a variety of health conditions. According to studies, a variety of edible wild plants are rich in particular phyto chemicls that may have health benefits¹⁰.

Figure1:- fruit of Momordica dioica

There are some health benefits of the fruits¹¹:

· Thought to be beneficial It is a great source of phytonutrients, which are substances found in some stores that are to both colour and mortality. With about 17 calories per 100gm, the vegetable is also low in calories. Additionally, kantola has a high water content, making it beneficial for weight loss, says dietitian Seema Singh.

· Because of its high manufactured insulin content, it also lowers blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Singh states that anything that is high in fibre and packed with water content is a fantastic option for a diabetic diet, and kantola checks all the requirements

There are some traditional uses of momordica dioica :-

· Fruit is also used to treat inflammation from lizards, snake bites, elephantiasis, fever, internal illnesses, digestive disorders, heart problems, asthma, leprosy, excessive expectoration, and mucous membrane discharge.

· Fresh fruit juice is advised for people with high blood pressure.

· To treat diabetes, take a fruit and cook it in a small amount of oil painting. To treat acne and pustules, soft fruits are applied topically.

Biogeography and Botanical description:

Kingdom	Plantae
SubKingdom	Tracheobionata
Supper division	Spermatophyta
Division	Magnoliphyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Subclass	Dillneiidae
Order	Violales
Family	Cecurbitaceae
Genus	Momordica
Species	Dioica

The perennial dioecious climbing plant Momordica dioica Roxb is described in historical literature and in modern analysis as having tuberous roots. This taxon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, more especially the Cucurbitoideae subfamily, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The unique sculpted seeds or the asymmetrical fruit that looks like it's being eaten may be the source of the genus name Mordica. In Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior Chambal Division, this species is often known as "Kakora." It is thought to have originated in the Indo-Malayan region. In India, it is extensively dispersed from the Himalayas to the southern peninsula, as well as in other regions of the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, where it grows both wild and cultivated for its edible fruit. The plant's aerial portions die back at the start of winter, and the oval-shaped fruit is covered in soft spines. The sprouting of tubers, which can result in large output losses, is how the species lives. Vegetative proliferation from the subsurface tuberous roots is the main method of cultivation. Momordica dioica, also known as kakrol, spiny gourd, or teasle gourd, is a perennial, dioecious climbing plant that is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. This species is native to Asia, and it is widely distributed in places like Bangladesh and India.¹²

(1) Synonyms of M.dioica:¹³ (2) Classification of M.dioica:-

Bengoli	Kartoli
English	Small bittergourd, Spine gourd, Teasel gourd
Hindi	Kantola, Parora, Kakora
Malyalam	Venpaval, Erimapasel
Marathi	Kartoli
Tamil	Paluppakkay
Telagu	Agakara, Karkotaki
Cannad	Madahagala-kayi
Sanskrit	Vahisi
Punjabi	Dharkarela
Assam	Batkarila

Nutritional Value:¹⁴

Momordica dioica contains a variety of colourful substances, including vitamins, proteins, triterpenes, and lectins. Large amounts of vitamin C are found in the fruit of that factory, together with other colourful substances including ascorbic acid, iodine, alkaloids, flavonoids, amino acids, and glycosides. Momordica dioica fruit has 3.09 fibre, 3.19 protein, 7.79 carbohydrate, and 8.11% humidity. It contains trace levels of vitamins such as riboflavin, carotene, thiamine, niocin, and ascorbic acid. The protein phytochemical is present in leaves in significant amounts. Additionally, Momordica Dioica includes ash 3–4p.c., an alkaloid, and a scrap extractive matter. Manganese is present in trace amounts in ash.

Table 1:- Proximate composition of fruits of momodica dioica.¹⁵

Sr. No.	Parameters	Composition
1	pH	6.5
2	Crude protein	52.06g/100g
3	Crude lipid	4g/100g
4	Crude fiber	15.36g/100g
5	Ash	14g/100g
6	Carbohydrate	14.58g/100g
7	Total solid	12.9g/100g
8	Calorific value	302.56 kcal/100g DW*
9	water	87g/100g

Bioactive compunds:-

The dioecious climbing herb Momordica dioica is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. It has a lot of phytoconstituents. Traces of alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoid, flavonoids, glycosides, saponin, triterpenes of urisolic acid, dark brown semidrying oil, and saturated fatty acids, ascorbic acids, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavins, niacin, protein carbohydrates, lectins, ascorbic acids, carotenes, bitter principles, oleanoic acid, stearic acid, gypsogenin, α-spiranosterol hederagenin, and Momordica ursenol are among the phytoconstituents of the plant. Momordicin is an alkaloid found in seeds, and Momordica foetida is an alkaloid found in roots.^16,17

Table 2: Proximate and mineral composition of momordica dioica¹⁸:

Composition	*Momordica dioica*
Moisture /%	84.17
Ash /%	6.7
Lipid /%	4.7
Fiber /%	21.3
Protein /%	19.38
Carbohydrate /%	47.92
Energy kcal /100g	311.50
Calcium mg /100g	33
Sodium mg /100g	1.51
Potassium mg /100g	8.25
Iron mg /100g	4.6
Phosphorus mg /100g	42

Plants parts:

Fruits:

M. dioica is used as a vegetable and has green fruit. It has hepatoprotective, laxative, and diuretic effects, among other therapeutic qualities. Leprosy, elephantasis,

snakebite^19,20, and asthma are also cured by it. For hypertension, fresh fruit juice from the M. dioca plant is utilised. Applying the fruit to the skin can help prevent or treat acne and other skin issues²¹.

Figure 3:- Fruit of M.dioica

Leaves and flowers:

The plant's leaves have anti-helminthitic properties. It also cures diabetes, fever, and jaundice. Applying a leaf paste to the skin can cure a variety of skin conditions and infections. The leaves' juice was combined with coconut, pepper, red sandalwood, and other ingredients to create an ointment that was applied to the head to treat headaches²².

Figure 4:- Leaves & Flower of M.dioica

Roots:-

M. Dioica roots are highly beneficial for a number of illnesses. It contains several medications, including Spermicidal and Abortificane. It is also frequently used to treat urinary infections and bleeding piles²³.

Figure 5:-Roots of M.dioica

Pharmacological study:

1. Antioxidant activity:

Compounds that come from natural sources can offer defence against free radicals²⁴. In vitro, the alcoholic extract prevented the formation of oxygen-derived free radicals (ODFR) using an ascorbic system containing 4000 𝜇g/mL²⁵. Another study used a variety of in vitro techniques, including iron chelating activity, total antioxidant capacity, haemoglobin glycosylation assay, DPPH radical scavenging, and ABTS radical scavenging, to investigate the tuberous roots' capacity to scavenge free radicals. It was discovered that the ethanolic extract's total antioxidant capacity was 26 𝜇g/mL, which is the same as ascorbic acid. Additionally, at concentrations of 500 and 1000𝜇g/mL, its ethanol extract demonstrated percentage inhibition of haemoglobin glycosylation of 66.63 and 74.14, respectively, whereas regular DL 𝛼-tocopherol showed 61.53% and 86.68% inhibition at the same concentration ²⁶. When the antioxidant properties of fruit extracts in methanol and aqueous form were examined, it was discovered that phenolic compounds, flavonoids, sterol, alkaloids, amino acids, and other substances were present²⁷. Its fruit has been described as a strong antioxidant among those substances because of the flavonoids it contains²⁸.

2. Antidiabetic activity:

In a rat model, Fernandopulle et al. investigated for Momordica dioica's antidiabetic, specifically its oral hypoglycemic properties²⁹. Aqueous, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanolic fruit extracts mediated antidiabetic action in experimental rats given alloxan, according to Reddy et al. and Singh et al. Furthermore, Sharma and Arya found that ethanol extract and ethyl acetate having triterpenoids and steroids may play a part in type 2 diabetes in general and alloxan-induced diabetic rats in particular.³⁰

3. Analgesic activity:

When compared to a standard medication, Ilango et al. and Vaidya and Shree-dhara reported that the soluble portion of the methanolic extract of Momordica dioica fruit pulp and its hexane extract both shown analgesic effectiveness^31,32. When compared to the vehicle-treated control group, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts demonstrated notable analgesic effect in acetic acid-induced writhing syndrome. However, compared to ethyl acetate extract, petroleum ether and methanol extract demonstrated more notable analgesic efficacy³³.

4. Anticancer activity:

Luo et al. demonstrated anti-cancer activity in cancer cell (L1210) pharmacological tests using the CHCl3 extract of roots and five separate ingredients. When 𝛼-spinasterol-3-o-𝛽-D-glucopyranoside was administered at a concentration of 4𝜇g/mL, the growth inhibitory index (%) was 50%³⁴

5. Antiallergic Activities:

In mice, its extract was found to have antiallergic properties³⁵. The alcoholic extract was evaluated and its efficacy to inhibit passive cutaneous anaphylaxis was found in mouse and rat³⁶.

6. Anti- inflammatory activity:

The alcoholic root extract's anti-inflammatory properties were assessed during CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. Ilango et al. assessed the anti-inflammatory properties of fruit pulp mediated by methanolic and hexane extracts³⁷.

7. Nephroprotective Activity:

After screening, the ethanol extract of seeds showed clear nephroprotective and curative properties without any toxicity from gentamicin, a nephrotoxin-like compound³⁸. Its fruit extract's nephroprotective and restorative properties were also noted³⁹. Momordica dioica extract's renal protective activity was assessed by Gupta et al. in streptozotocin-diabetic rats⁴⁰.

8.Antimalarial activity:

Misra P, et al. Has screened alcoholic excerpt in vitro and in vivo for Antimalarial effect against NK65 strain of Plasmodium berghei, Jurinea Macrocephala and Aeglemarmelos and set up them to retain Schizontocidal exertion.⁴¹.

CONCLUSION:

There is a long history of using medicinal herbs in traditional ways. Both ancient people and our predecessors relied heavily on plants to help them recover from illnesses. However, it is annoying that people are now more likely to ignore natural sources of illness prevention than artificial ones. Because there is a global health alarm due to the on going reports of antibiotic resistance and synthetic medication side effects worldwide. Everyone is alarmed by the increased prevalence of diabetes, cancer, obesity, hypertension, and neurological illnesses in the world. To determine their causes and solutions, much research is conducted. Thus, the need of the hour is to find a better substitute for synthetic drugs. Medicinal plants may be a good option to play pivotal role against such complications. The paper has mainly focused on the phytotherapeutical and pharmacological potential of Momordica dioica Roxb. As It has a substantial number of vitamins, secondary metabolites, antioxidants, and other vital components that may help prevent numerous illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, and neurological diseases.

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Received on 31.10.2025 Revised on 29.11.2025

Accepted on 25.12.2025 Published on 10.04.2026

Available online from April 13, 2026

Asian J. Res. Pharm. Sci. 2026; 16(2):181-185.

DOI: 10.52711/2231-5659.2026.00028

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