ESTUDO FARMACOBOTÂNICO DAS FOLHAS DE MOMORDICA CHARANTIA L. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Momordica charantia L. is a climbing belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae and known mainly by melao-de-sao-caetano in Brazil. In folk medicine, is used to treat diabetes and skin lesions. It has febrifuge properties, healing and anti-rheumatic, and is used mainly by the population as antidiabetic. This study aimed to examine morpho-anatomical characters of leaves of this species to contribute to the pharmacognostic quality control of plant. The morphological description was carried out for the naked eye and with stereomicroscope. For microscopic morphodiagnosis, transversal sections of leaves (blade and petiole) and paradermic sections of blade were stained with basic fuchsin and astra blue and analyzed at optical microscopic. The leaves were simple, membranaceous and orbicular. The petiole showed angular collenchyma and bicollateral vascular bundle. The region of blade has dorsiventral mesophyll and biconvex midrib with collateral and bicollateral bundle. Secretory structures, non-glandular and glandular trichomes and druses of calcium oxalate are present in leaves.