The plant bitter gourd belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is known by the name bitter gourd. Bitter melon grows in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of East Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and South America, where it is both a food and a medicine. It can produce beautiful flowers and prickly fruits. The fruit of this plant is exactly the same as its name-it tastes bitter. Although the seeds, leaves and vines of bitter gourd can be used, its fruit is the safest and most widely used medicinal part of the plant.
| ITEMS | STANDARDS | RESULTS |
| Odor | Characteristic | Complies |
| Specification | Charantin | 10% |
| Description | Brown yellow powder | Complies |
| Mesh Size | 100% pass 80 mesh | 99% |
| Sulphated Ash | Max 5.0% | 2.49% |
| Loss on Drying | Max 5.0% | 3.93% |
| Bulk Density | 65-75g/100ml | 68g/100ml |
| Test method | UV | |
| Assay: Charantin | 10% | 10.76% |
| Heavy Metal | Max 20ppm | 6.2ppm |
| Pb | Max 2ppm | 0.58ppm |
| As | Max 2ppm | 0.43ppm |
| Hg | Max 2ppm | 0.31ppm |
| Cr | Max 2ppm | 0.23ppm |
| Residue on Menstruum | Max 50ppm methanol | Negative |
| Residue of Pesticide | Max 2ppm | Negative |
| Total Plate Count | Max 10000cfu/g | 4700 |
| Yeast&Mold | Max 300cfu/g | 92 |
| E.coil | Negative | Complies |
| Salmonella | Negative | Complies |