Balsam pear gourd seeds

Balsam pear gourd / Momordica dioica - a herbaceous climbing plant with annual shoots and a perennial tuberous rhizome. The stems are long, thin, climbing, and equipped with very slender, simple or bifid tendrils. The leaves are small, alternate, heart-shaped or broadly ovate, entire or slightly 3–5-lobed, rough, with sparse teeth, dark green, and borne on long petioles.

The plant is dioecious: male and female flowers develop on separate plants. The flowers are yellow or cream-colored, solitary on female plants and solitary or arranged in groups of 2–3 on male plants. Female flowers have a clearly visible inferior ovary. The fruits are round or oval, dark green, 4–8 cm long, and densely covered with soft spines. When ripe, they turn orange-red. The seeds are ovate, flattened, up to 12 mm long, light brown, and decorated with an intricate grooved pattern. Each seed is surrounded by a bright, edible, juicy, sweet, mucilaginous fleshy covering called an aril.

The fruits are rich in calcium, phosphorus, and carotene. Young, green, spiny fruits are highly valued in India and are often eaten as a vegetable, either boiled or fried. They have a pleasant taste, are quite sweet, and are completely non-bitter. Tender shoots and leaves are used as greens. The tuberous root is cooked as a vegetable.

The fruits, leaves, and tuberous roots are also used in traditional medicine in India, particularly for the treatment of diabetes. The fruits are rich in nutrients and contain large amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, fiber, minerals (calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and sodium), and vitamins (carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin). The plant has significant antioxidant activity, which may contribute to its potential in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

May also be called: spiny gourd, spine gourd, teasle gourd.