WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants - travolekar.ru

Fructus Momordicae
Description
A monoecious, annual climbing vine up to 5 m long. Stem 5-ridged, with
simple tendrils. Leaves alternate, petiolate, broad blade ovate to suborbicular
or ovate-reniform in outline, 2.5–10.0 × 3.0–12.5 cm with 3–9 deep
palmate lobes quite variable in size. Unisexual solitary flowers, yellow to
orange, 3.5 cm in diameter; male flowers on a 0.5–3.0 cm long peduncle
bearing an apical bract up to 2.2 cm long, and 2.0–5.5 cm long pedicel;
female flowers on a 0.2–5.0 cm long peduncle bearing an apical bract of up
to 1.2 cm long, and pedicel 1.0–10 cm in length. Fruits, fleshy, oblongfusiform-cylindrical,
irregularly warty, usually 3–11 cm, but can be up to
45 cm in length × 2–8 cm in diameter, orange, dehiscing. Seeds, 8–16 ×
4–10 × 2.5–3.5 mm, brown, testa ornamented (3, 7, 10).
Plant material of interest: fresh or dried fruits
General appearance
Fleshy, oblong-fusiform-cylindrical, irregularly warty, usually 3–11 cm,
but cultivars can be up to 45 cm in length × 2–8 cm in diameter, green
(young) to orange (old), dehiscing. Seeds, 8–16 × 4–10 × 2.5 × 3.5 mm,
brown, testa ornamented (3, 7, 10).
Organoleptic properties
Odour: characteristic; taste: bitter (10).
Microscopic characteristics
To be established in accordance with national requirements.
Powdered plant material
To be established in accordance with national requirements.
General identity tests
Macroscopic examination (3, 7, 10).
Purity tests
Microbiological
Tests for specific microorganisms and microbial contamination limits are
as described in the <strong>WHO</strong> guidelines on assessing quality of herbal medicines
with reference to contaminants and residues (11).
Foreign organic matter
None (1).
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