Characterization of nutritionally important phytoconstituents in bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) fruits by HPLC–DAD and GC–MS

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) is the traditional vegetable used as medicinal food, in different parts of the world, including Korea and China. Little is known about its bioactive composition aside from its health-promoting properties. Therefore, the present work aimed to determine the content of carotenoids, tocopherols, folates and fatty acids in bitter melon fruits. Using HPLC–DAD, six major carotenoids were quantified in fruits; all-E-lutein was recorded in highest quantity, followed by all-E-β-carotene and α-carotene, with 79.5, 17.6 and 1.5 % of total carotenoids, respectively. A high content of α-tocopherol (42.93 μg/g FW) and total folate (0.724 µg/g FW) was also recorded in fruits using HPLC–DAD and microbiological assay, respectively. The total lipid content of 1.79 % was recorded in fresh fruits (FW). Using GC–MS, sixteen fatty acids were identified in lipid fraction; α-linolenic acid (ALA; C18:3) was found in highest quantity (44.33 %) followed by palmitic acid (C16:0) (29.64 %), and linoleic acid (C18:2) (10.32 %). Melon fruits contain a low amount of saturated fatty acid and high-mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, in the form of ALA. Knowledge of bioactive composition in bitter melon fruit will be useful for proper diet recommendations and also for nutrient database updating.