Momordicin I, or 3,7,23-trihydroxycucurbitan-5,24-dien-19-al, is a chemical compound

Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...

 found in the leaves of the bitter melon

Bitter melon

Momordica charantia, called bitter melon or bitter gourd in English, is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits...

 vine (Momordica charantia), possibly responsible for its reputed medicinal properties.

The compound was isolated and characterized in 1984 by M. Yasuda and others It is a white crystalline solid with formula , that melts at 125–128°C.

The compound can be extracted from ground dry leaves by dichloromethane

Dichloromethane

Dichloromethane is an organic compound with the formula CH2Cl2. This colorless, volatile liquid with a moderately sweet aroma is widely used as a solvent. Although it is not miscible with water, it is miscible with many organic solvents...

. It is insoluble in water and soluble in methanol

Methanol

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...

.

A related glycoside

Glycoside

In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to a non-carbohydrate moiety, usually a small organic molecule. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. These can be activated by enzyme...

, momordicoside

Momordicoside

Momordicoside is any of several related glycosides that can be extracted from the bitter melon vine . They include:*Momordicoside A *Momordicoside B *momordicoside F1 *momordicoside F2 *Momordicoside K *Momordicoside L...

, occurs in the unripe fruit.

See also

• Momordicin II
• Momordicin-28
  Momordicin-28
  Momordicin-28 or 13-hydroxy-28-methoxy-urs-11-en-3-one is a triterpene compound with formula found in the fresh fruit of the bitter melon ....
  
  
• Momordicinin
  Momordicinin
  Momordicinin or 13β,28-epoxy-urs-11-en-3-one is chemical compound, a triterpene with formula , found in the fresh fruit of the bitter melon ....
  
  
• Momordicilin
  Momordicilin
  Momordicilin or 24-[1′-hydroxy,1′-methyl-2′-pentenyloxyl]-ursan-3-one is a chemical compound, a triterpene with formula , found in the fresh fruit of the bitter melon ....
  
  
• Momordenol
  Momordenol
  Momordenol or 3β-hydroxy-stigmasta-5,14-dien-16-one is a natural chemical compound, a sterol with formula , found in the fresh fruit of the bitter melon ....
  
  
• Momordol
  Momordol
  Momordol or 1-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-2-[8′,10′-dihydroxy-4′,7′-dimethyl-11′-hydroxy methyl-trideca]-3-ethyl-cyclohex-5-en-4-one is a chemical compound with formula , found in the fresh fruit of the bitter melon ....