''Momordica dioica'', commonly known as spiny gourd or spine gourd and also known as bristly balsam pear, prickly carolaho, teasle gourd or kantola, is a species of flowering plant in the family. It is used as a vegetable in all regions of India and some parts in South Asia. It has commercial importance and is exported and used locally. The fruits are cooked with spices, or fried and sometimes eaten with meat or fish. It is Plant propagation, propagated by underground tubers. It has small leaves, small yellow flowers, it has small, dark green, round or oval fruits. It is dioecious, which means that it has distinct male and female individual organisms, hence its name.T. R. Gopalakrishnan,
Vernacular names
In Sanskrit it is called as ''karkotaki'' (कर्कोटकी) or ''karkoti'' (कर्कोटी). In Hindi it is called ''kakoda'' (ककोड़ा) or ''paroda'' (परोड़ा). In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh is also called ''chataila'' (चटैल). In Rajasthan it is also called ''van/ban karela'' (बन करेला), literally "forest bitter gourd". In Tamil language, Tamil it is called மெழுகுபாகல் ''mezhuku-pakal'' or பழுபாகல் ''pazhu-pakal''. In Oriya language, Oriya it is called ''Kankada (କାଙ୍କଡ଼)''. In Assamese language, Assamese it is called ''bhat-kerela'' (ভাত কেৰেলা), in Manipuri it is called ''Karot'' and in Bengali language, Bengali ' or ''ghi korola (ঘি করলা)''. In Telugu language, Telugu it is called ''boda kakara'' and on the east coast of Coastal Andhra, Andhra it is called ''ā-kākara-kāya'' or ''angā-kara-kāya''. In Gujarati language, Gujarati it is called ''Kantola (કંટોળા)'' or ''Kankoda (કંકોળા)'' and is cooked the same way bitter gourd is cooked. In Sri Lanka, it is known as ''Thumba'' or ''Thumba Karavila'' (''තුඹ කරවිල'') in Sinhala language, Sinhalese. In Marathi language, Marathi it is called ''Kantole'' and in Mizo language, Mizo as ''maitamtawk''. In Kannada language, Kannada it is called '' (ಮಾಡ ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ )''. In Chhattisgarhi language, Chhattisgarhi, Jharkhand, Bihari languages, Bihar it is called ''Kheksi''. In Myanmar, it is called ''ဟင်းခပေါင်း''. In Konkani, it is called ''Phagil''. In Meghalaya (in the Garo tribe), it is called ''Gambilori''. In Nepali (or Nepalese), it is called ''chatela''.Nutrition
''Momordica dioica'' as the average nutritional value per 100 g edible fruit was found to contain 84.1 g moisture, 7.7 g carbohydrate, 3.1 g protein, 3.1 g fat, 3.0 g fiber and 1.1 g minerals. It also contained small quantities of carotene and vitamins like ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. It also contains protein in the leaves, and dry weight of aerial plant parts remained higher in male as compared to female defruited and monoecious plants. From ''Momordica dioica'' fruit isolated 6-methyl tritriacont-50on-28-of and 8- methyl hentracont-3-ene along with the known sterol pleuchiol. Momodicaursenol, an unknown pentacyclic triterpene isolated from the seeds, had been identified as urs-12, 18(19)-dien-3 beta-ol on. Phytochemical investigations have revealed the presence of traces of alkaloids and ascorbic acid in fruits. Lectin, Lectins, Beta-Sitosterol, β-sitosterol, Saponin, saponins, glycosides, triterpenes of ursolic acid, hederagenin, oleanolic acid, aspiranosterol, stearic acid, gypsogenin, two novel aliphatic constituents. From the dry root of ''Momordica dioica'' isolated three triterpenes and two steroidal compounds. These were alphaspinasterol octadecanonate(I), alphaspinasterol-3-O-beta-Dglucopyranoside(II), 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl gypsogenin(III), 3-Obeta-D-glucopyranosyl gypsogenin(IV) and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl hederagenin(V). Constituent III was a new compound.Uses
Momordica dioica is used as a vegetable in all regions of India and some parts in South Asia. It has commercial importance and is exported and used locally. The fruits are cooked with spices, or fried and sometimes eaten with meat or fish.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2475718External links
dioica Farming Details''
Momordica, dioica Dioecious plants