Visiting Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) from a Breeding Perspective: A Review

Bitter gourd is an important vegetable of the family Cucurbitaceae, cultivated mainly in humid and subtropical Asia. Bitter gourd is a vegetable with immense health benefits due to the presence of medicinal compounds such as charantin, vicine, and polypeptide-p, which play essential roles in lessening blood glucose levels. Moreover, bitter gourd fruits are particularly rich in vitamin C, minerals, and carotenes. Here, an effort has been made to critically evaluate the extent of achievements during the enhancement and enactment of bitter gourd breeding programs with the use of latest technologies. Broadening the genetic base of cultivated bitter gourd varieties as a result of enrichment of existing resources by using wild species in breeding programs. Practical seed production technological know-how along with the use of the MS system (male sterility)/chemical-induced sterility procedure is nonetheless vital to cope with market demands. Superior yielding bitter gourd hybrids combining early maturity and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses are regularly needed to cope with the challenge of bitter gourd production.