Anti-cancer properties of bioactive compounds isolated from Momordica charantia: A mini review

Abstract

Cancer is a major global disease where abnormal cells rapidly proliferate having the ability to migrate to different parts of the human body via a process called metastasis. Cancer is also one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is a burden financially and on the quality of human lives in both well-developed and less-developed countries, especially as the population is increasing. For centuries, Ayurveda culture has recommended the use medicinal plants to treat a variety of diseases maintaining health prior to the advent of modern medicine. Over time, much information and knowledge have been gathered about the properties of medicinal plants by personal experimentation, local custom, anecdote and folk traditions leading to the formation of several traditional medicine systems and therapies. One such plant is Momordica charantia, which acts as a functional food to prevent and to treat diabetes mellitus and associated complications as well as cancers. Research in the last few decades, utilizing modern techniques, has revealed anti-cancer activities of M. charantia. Several groups of investigators have reported that treatment of number on cancer cell lines with M. charantia-related extracts and compounds have been very successful. These agents exert their anti-cancer effects by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis without adversely affecting normal healthy cell growth. This review focuses on recent advancements in anti-cancer effectiveness and chemo-preventive ability of M. charantia and its active constituents with special emphasis on cucurbitane-type glycosides, ribosome–inactivating inhibitors and conjugated fatty acids

Keywords: Momordica charantia, cell proliferation, cucurbitane, conjugated fatty acids, antitumor.