Momordica charantia, commonly called bitter melon, is a plant belonging to\nCucurbitaceae family known for centuries for its pharmacological activities, and\nnutritional properties. Due to the presence of many bioactive compounds, some of\nwhich possess potent biological actions, this plant is used in folk medicine all over the\nworld for the treatment of different pathologies, mainly diabetes, but also cancer, and\nother inflammation-associated diseases. It is widely demonstrated that M. charantia\nextracts contribute in lowering glycaemia in patients affected by type 2 diabetes.\nHowever, the majority of existing studies on M. charantia bioactive compounds were\nperformed only on cell lines and in animal models. Therefore, because the real impact\nof bitter melon on human health has not been thoroughly demonstrated, systematic\nclinical studies are needed to establish its efficacy and safety in patients. Besides, both\nin vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that bitter melon may also elicit toxic\nor adverse effects under different conditions. The aim of this review is to provide an\noverview of anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic properties of bitter melon, discussing\nits pharmacological activity as well as the potential adverse effects. Even if a lot of\nliterature is available about bitter melon as antidiabetic drug, few papers discuss the\nanti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties of this plant.
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