Pharmacognostic, Physicochemical, Phytochemical Evaluation and Thin Layer Chromatography of Momordica charantia Linn. Fruits

Momordica charantia Linn, well known as bitter gourd belongs to Family Cucurbitaceae. The aim of the present study is to obtained detailed pharmacognostic, physicochemical characters and phytochemical screening of the fruits. The various pharmacognostic parameters were determined viz macroscopic, microscopic including transverse section of the fruit, powder microscopic characteristics, fluorescence analysis, physicochemical properties (Total Ash 7.3 ± 0.11 , acid-insoluble ash 1.40 ± 0.05, water soluble ash 3.16 ± 0.35,alcohol soluble extractive value 8.90 ± 0.11, water soluble extractive value 25.93 ± 0.2, moisture content 17.93 ± 0.08 ) and phytochemical screening of fruits ethanolic extracts reveals the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins & reducing sugars. Rf value was found to be 0.20, 0.27, 0.32, 0.48, 0.54, 0.59, 0.72, 0.85 & 0.93. The current study reveals the standardised parameters for pharmacognostics, physicochemical parameters, phytochemical characteristics, and chromatographic studies of the fruits of Mordica charantia. Keywords: Fluorescence analysis, Physicochemical, Thin layer chromatography