B
SYN; WOI); Hypotensive (1; CRC; MPG); Immunotoxic (1; TRA); Insecticide (1; CRC; MPG;
TRA); Lactagogue (f; CRC); Laxative (1; CRC; KAB; MPG); Lipolytic (1; CRC); Poison (1; CRC);
Stomachic (f; KAB; WOI); Teratogenic (1; MPG); Tonic (f; KAB; WOI); Vermifuge (1; CRC;
MPG; WOI); Vulnerary (f; KAB; RYM).
Indications (Bitter Melon) — Ameba (f; AAB); Anemia (f; AAB); Anorexia (f; CRC); Aphtha
(f; KAB); Asthma (f; CRC; KAB); Bacteria (1; MPG; TRA); Bite (f; KAB; MPG); Biliousness
(f; MPG); Bleeding (f; CRC); Boil (f; CRC); Bronchosis (f; KAB); Bruise (f; KAB); Burn (f;
CRC); Calculus (f; CRC); Cancer (1; CRC; MPG); Candida (1; CRC; MPG; TRA); Cataract (1;
ZUL); Catarrh (f; CRC); Chilblain (f; CRC); Cholera (f; CRC; KAB); Cold (f; CRC); Colic (f;
CRC; WOI); Colitis (f; CRC); Constipation (1; AAB; CRC; KAB; MPG); Cramp (1; ZUL);
Delirium (f; KAB); Dermatosis (f; AAB; CRC; KAB); Diabetes (2; AAB; SKY; ZUL); Dysentery
(f; CRC); Dysmenorrhea (f; AAB; CRC; KAB); Dyspepsia (f; CRC); Eczema (f; CRC; SKJ);
Escherichia (1; MPG); Fever (f; CRC; KAB; MPG; WOI); Furuncle (f; TRA); Gas (f; CRC;
MPG; WOI); Gastrosis (f; CRC); Gonorrhea (f; CRC; KAB); Gout (f; CRC; WOI); Halitosis (f;
CRC); Headache (f; CRC); Hemorrhoid (f; CRC; KAB; SKJ); Hepatosis (f; CRC); High Blood
Pressure (1; CRC; MPG); HIV (1; SKY); High Cholesterol (1; CRC); Hyperglycemia (2; MPG;
SKY; SYN; WOI); Infection (1; AAB; CRC); Itch (f; CRC; TRA); Jaundice (f; CRC; KAB;
SKJ); Amenorrhea (1; TRA); Leprosy (f; CRC; KAB; TRA); Leukemia (1; MPG); Malaria (1;
CRC; SKJ; ZUL); Melancholy (f; CRC); Mycosis (f; MPG); Nyctalopia (f; KAB); Obesity (1;
CRC); Ophthalmia (f; KAB); Otosis (f; CRC); Pain (f; AAB); Parasite (f; AAB); Pediculosis (f;
TRA); Plethora (f; KAB); Polyuria (1; CRC); Prolapse (f; KAB); Psoriasis (1; CRC; SKY);
Rheumatism (f; CRC; KAB; WOI); Salmonella (1; MPG); Scabies (f; CRC; KAB); Scald (f;
CRC); Seborrhea (f; KAB); Shigella (1; MPG); Sore (f; JLH; KAB); Sore Throat (f; AAB);
Splenosis (f; CRC; KAB); Sprue (f; CRC); Staphylococcus (1; MPG); Stomachache (f; CRC);
Stomatosis (f; AAB); Streptococcus (1; FNF); Syndrome-X (1; SYN); Syphilis (f; KAB); Ticks
(1; TRA); Tumor (1; CRC; JLH; MPG); Ulcer (f; CRC); Urethrosis (f; CRC); Vaginosis (f;
KAB); VD (f; CRC); Virus (1; MPG; SKY); Worm (1; CRC; KAB; MPG; TRA; WOI); Wound
(f; CRC); Yeast (1; CRC; MPG; TRA).
Dosages (Bitter Melon) — 1 (500 mg) capsule 3 ×/day with 150 mg extract containing 2.5% bitter
principles (NH); one small melon per day (SKY); 50 ml fresh juice/day (SKY); 5 ml tincture 2–3
×/day (SKY); 2–5 g leaf/liter water (MPG).
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Bitter Melon) — Not covered (AHP; KOM;
PHR). High doses may cause diarrhea and enteralgia (SKY); may potentiate hypoglycemic drugs
(SKY); small children and patients with hypoglycemia should avoid (SKY). Seeds contain aborti-
facient compounds. This one is too new, at least in the First World, to have entered any of the
Commission E books I am consulting for my herbal desk reference. Even TRAMIL, the Caribbean
Commission E I call Commission T, does not recommend this frequent edible weed due to some
toxic compounds it contains.
Extracts (Bitter Melon) — At least three groups of hypoglycemic compounds (SKY). Alpha-
and beta-momocharin inhibit HIV in vitro (SKY). Various extracts active in vitro against Bacillus
subtilis, Corynebacterium diptheriae, Escherichia coli, Neisseria spp., Pseudomonas aerugi-
nosa, Salmonella, Sarcina lutea, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus spp., LD50 of fruit;
3 g/kg (TRA; ZUL). Charantin, diosgenin, and beta-sitosterol uterotonic (ZUL); but decoction
of fruits and green leaves, without root, at 25,000 mg/kg produced no deaths in rats. Alpha-
trichosanthine and beta-momorchin in the seeds are abortifacient. Hydroethanolic fruit extracts,
1.75 g/dog orally for 20 days, lowered spermatogenesis. Aqueous extracts of leaves at 500
mg/kg orl rat was neither embryotoxic nor estrogenic. Leaf juice not topically allergic nor
irritant (TRA).