Standardization and selection of organic solvent and extraction parameters for charantin in bitter gourd (Momordica charantin L.) fruits

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L. Cucurbitaceae) is an important vegetable and medicinal crop that is grown in several tropical countries such as India, China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, part of Africa, Central North America, South North Asia, Singapore, Japan, and Vietnam. It is also used as raw fruit juice for cooking fruits and vegetable dishes. The fruits, leaves, and seeds of this plant contain charantins, which are insulin-like compounds. Therefore, it is essential to develop nutrient-rich extracts that are more effective for diabetes. Ethanol and methanol are edible solvents that enable the preparation of charantin-rich extracts. Experiments were conducted on charantin extraction using ethanol and methanol in a Soxhlet apparatus. The study concluded that methanol is a better solvent for the production of charantin-rich extracts. Methanolic extracts had fewer impurities, less chlorophyll interference in the analysis, and better peak strength. The results of the study showed that there was 380–990 ug/g dry fruit powder dry weight content of charantin-level expression in fruit dried powder in methanolic extract, compared with ethanolic extract, which was 200–700 ug/g dry weight. The data show the significance of the use of methanol for bitter gourd charantin extraction.