| Botany
Indigenous in Southeast
Asia; sometimes called the "fruit from heaven," believed to promote longevity, health and vitality.
Botany
Coarse and dioecious vine
reaching a length of 15 meters, slightly hairy or nearly smooth, climbing
by tendrils. Leaves are broadly ovate, 8 to 128 cm long, deeply palmately
3-lobed, sometimes entire, with pointed tips and heart-shaped bases.
Male flowers occur cingly in the leaf axils on peduncles 5-15 cm long.
Buds, enclosed by a large, green inflated bracteole open at full bloom.
Peduncles of the female flowers are 2.5 to 5 cm long. Calyx is nearly
black with 5 acuminate lobes. Petas are pale yellow, oblong to oblong-ovate,
with a large dark blotch at the base. The fruit is large, ovoid to rounded,
8-12 cm in diameter, yellow with scattered, tubercle-like spines. Seeds
are large, flattened, circular, embedded in an orange-yellow pulp.
Distribution
In thickets and secondary
forests, at low and medium altitudes.
Chemical constituents and characteristics
Seeds contain no alkaloid.
Kernels contain 47 % oil (similar to Chinese tung oil - Aleurites cordata).
Seeds contain a slightly bitter glucoside.
High in phytonutrients: (1) Lycopene, relative to mass, 70 times that
found in tomatoes. (2) Beta-carotene, 10 times the amount in carrots
or sweet potatoes.
Research suggests anti-cancer constituent.
Considered resolvent, cooling.
Properties
Pectoral, aperient, abstergent,
constructive and resolvent.
Parts used and preparation
Roots, seeds, leaves.
Uses
Nutritional
Fruit of pulp is edible.
Rice colorant: In Vietnam,
used for dish called "xoi gac" - a mixture of gac seed and
pulp with cooked rice with its distinct color and flavor.
Folkloric
Roots are used as soap substitute
and for treatment of head lice.
Seeds, pulverized or decocted, are pectoral; also good for coughs.
Plaster made from roots promote hair growth.
Seeds and leaves are aperient and abstergent.
Seeds are used for treatment of hemorrhoids.
Used for swelling of the neck, mammary abscesses, bruises, wounds, swellings
and ulcers.
In Vietnam, the seed membranes are used
for relief of dry eyes and to promote healthy vision; also used to make
a tonic for children and lactating and pregnant women.
In Chinese medicine, used for liver and
spleen disorders, wounds, hemorrhoids, bruises, swelling and pus.
Others
Roots used as a substitute
for soap; for lice infestation.
In China, the fruits is used for food coloring.
In Vietnam, used to color rice for celebratory
occasions, like weddings, new years, masking the usual white color of
the rice, white considered the color of death.
Studies
• Gac / Fruit Carotenoids:
The study showed a remarkably high concentration of lycopene.
• Immune Enhancing / Immuno-Modulatory:
Immunomodulatory
activity of a chymotrypsin inhibitor from Momordica cochinchinensis
seeds: A chymotrypsin-specific inhibitor (MCoCI)
was isolated from the seed of M. cochinchinensis. It was shown to possess
immuno-enhancing and antiinflammatory effects that may explain some
of its therapeutic actions.
• Gac with its high level of bioavailable
carotenoids may also promote prostate health and protect the eyes from
age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
• Antioxidant: (1) Results of study on
the rat hepatocyte system suggest that M cochinchinensis possessed antioxidative
activity which explains some of its pharmacologic effects. (2) Study showed a chymotrypsin-specific potato type inhibitor from M cochinchinensis possessed antioxidative activity which may account for some of the pharmacologic effects of MC seeds.
• Adjuvant Immune Effect: Study showed extract of C momordica seeds, when used ovalbumin in mice, may induce significantly higher specific antibody production than OVA alone. Results suggest ECMS is safe for injection and can be used as a potential vaccine adjuvant in the production of IgG2a in mice.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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