Momordica cochinchinensis
Gac melon
Momordica cochinchinensis, commonly known as Gac fruit, is a climbing vine celebrated in Southeast Asian traditional medicine. Renowned for its vibrant red arils, it boasts exceptional concentrations of carotenoids, lycopene, and fatty acids. These potent antioxidants support eye health, skin vitality, and immune function, making it a nutritional powerhouse.
- Scientific name: Momordica cochinchinensis
- Family: Cucurbitaceae
- Native range: Asia-Temperate
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, known scientifically as Momordica cochinchinensis, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Cucurbitales and the family Cucurbitaceae. It is further categorized under the genus Momordica.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Cucurbitales | WCVP |
| Family | Cucurbitaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Momordica | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Momordica cochinchinensis, is known by several regional common names across different Chinese linguistic contexts. In Simplified Chinese, it is referred to as 木鳖果 (zh-hans and zh-cn), a name also utilized in Singapore (zh-sg). In Traditional Chinese, the name is written as 木鱉果 (zh-hant), which is the standard designation used in Hong Kong (zh-hk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 木鳖果 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 木鱉果 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 木鱉果 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 木鳖果 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 木鳖果 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 木虌子 | Wikidata |
| pl | Przepękla indochińska | Wikidata |
| udm | Гак | Wikidata |
| ru | Гак | Wikidata |
| lbe | Гак | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical range across several key regions in Asia. Within China, it is widely distributed through the South-Central and Southeast provinces. It also finds a specialized habitat in the high-altitude regions of Tibet. Moving toward Eastern Asia, the species is commonly documented in Taiwan. Finally, its distribution extends to the Indian Subcontinent, specifically within the Assam region.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| China | Tibet | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | India | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Andaman Is. | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Cambodia | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known commonly as Gac, possesses various components that are utilized for their medicinal and nutritional properties. The most significant parts are the root tubers, which are often referred to as tubers in botanical descriptions, as they store essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. Within the fruit, the large, bright red seeds contain a high concentration of healthy fats, which can be extracted to produce seed oil rich in carotenoids like lycopene and beta-carotene. Each individual seed serves as a vital source of these concentrated oils, making the entire reproductive structure highly valued in traditional medicine.- Total parts
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 7
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| tubers | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seeds | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed oil | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root tubers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Momordica cochinchinensis has 15 reported phytochemicals identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 5-dehydrokarounidiol, 7-oxodihydrokarounidiol, Karounidiol, beta-sitosterol, carotenoids.
- Total chemicals
- 15
- Scientific sources
- 15
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 5-dehydrokarounidiol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 7-oxodihydrokarounidiol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Karounidiol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| beta-sitosterol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| carotenoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ethyl acetate | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| isokarounidiol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| momordin Ic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Momordica cochinchinensis has 4 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Abortifacient, Antipruritic, Antitumor, Hepatoprotective.
- Total activities
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Abortifacient | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antipruritic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Momordica cochinchinensis has 6 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include melanoma, Alzheimer's disease, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Colorectal cancer, breast cancer.
- Total uses
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 7
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| melanoma | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Colorectal cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |