Ampalaya (Momordica charantia)

Properties
– Considered astringent, antidiabetic, abortifacient, antirheumatic, contraceptive, galactagogue, parasiticide, anthelmintic, purgative, emetic, antipyretic, febrifuge, emmenagogue, cooling , tonic, vulnerary.
– Fruit considered tonic and stomachic.

Parts utilized
Leaves, roots and fruits.

Uses
– In the Philippines, juice expressed from the green fruit is given for chronic colitis: also used for bacillary dysentery.
– Astringent powdered leaves or root decoction can be applied to hemorrhoids.
– Leaf juice for cough and as a purgative and anthelminthic to expel intestinal parasites, and for healing wounds.
– Seeds also used to expel worms.
– The vine or the juice of leaves used as mild purgative for children.
– In large doses, the fresh juice is a drastic purgative.
– Decoction of roots and seeds used for urethral discharges.
– Juice of leaves used for chronic coughs.
– Leaves and shoots used as vulnerary.
– Sap of leaves used as parasiticide.
– Fruit macerated in oil used as vulnerary.
– Fruit considered tonic and stomachic; used in rheumatism, gout, and diseases of the spleen and liver.
– Pounded leaves used for scalds.
– Infusion of leaves or leaf juice used for fevers.
– Used for chronic stomach ulcers.
– Root sometimes used as ingredient in aphrodisiac preparations.
– Decoction of root used as abortifacient.
– Fruit in large doses considered a drastic purgative and abortifacient.
– In India, root used as astringent; applied externally to hemorrhoids.
– In Lagos, decoction of leaves used as stomachic.
– Leaves used as anthelmintic and antipyretic, and applied externally to leprosy.
– In India and Malaya, pounded leaves are applied to skin diseases, burns and scalds.
– Poultice of leaves used for headaches.
– Infusion of flowers used for asthma.
– Olive or almond oil infusion of the fruit, without the seeds, used for chapped hands, hemorrhoids, and burns.
– Root, along with fruits and seeds, used as abortifacient, as well as remedy for urethral discharges.
– In Batavia, vine used as anthelmintic, purgative, and emetic.
– In Jamaica, leaf decoction or infusion is taken for colds, as laxative and blood cleanser. Warm tea infusions also used for toothaches and mouth infections. Also used as a bath/wash for skin eruptions and acne.
Used for eczema, malarial, gout, jaundice, abdominal pain, kidney (stone), leprosy, leucorrhea, piles, pneumonia, psoriasis, , rheumatism, fever and scabies. Also, boiled leaves and decoction of plant used to promote lochia.
– In Antilles, sweetened decoction of leaves used as emmenagogue and vermifuge.
– In Cuba, used for diabetes mellitus; used for wounds refractive to other treatments, for skin disease, and for sterility in women.
– In Puerto Rico, used for diabetes.
– In Indo-China, fruit macerated in salted water used for fluxes, catarrh, and children’s coughs. Seeds employed in the treatment of dysentery.
– In Brazil, seeds used as anthelmintic.
In China, used as hypoglycemic and antidiabetic.
In Turkey, used for healing of cutaneous lesions and peptic ulcers.
Others
– Seeds with oil, employed as cosmetic.
– Leaves used to clean metals.