Hualien No. 4 bitter melon extract may become a botanical drug for treating tumors

Take bitterness as a tonic! After more than ten years of selection and crossbreeding, the bitter melon "Hualien No. 4" bred by the Hualien District Agricultural Improvement Station was unveiled to the public today (19), and experimental research by the bitter melon research team under the National Science and Technology Program for Biotechnology found that this bitter melon variety is rich in triterpenoids, wild bitter melon saponins, bitter melon protein and other components. Cell and animal experiments have now been completed, and it is expected to enter human trials by the end of October at the earliest. Once the trials are completed and its efficacy is confirmed, "Hualien No. 4 wild bitter melon" is expected to become a rising star among plant-based medicines.

The Hualien District Agricultural Improvement Station Has Devoted More Than Ten Years of Effort to Research, and It Can Be Grown Organically

Having devoted more than ten years of effort to this small, dark green wild bitter melon, Quan Zhonghe, associate researcher in the Crop Improvement Section of the Hualien District Agricultural Improvement Station, said that the "Hualien No. 4" wild bitter melon variety was bred from two lines, "Taiwan wild wild bitter melon" and "Hualien local wild bitter melon," through five generations of selfing and purification. Each retains the advantages of the two lines in tolerating adverse climates and achieving high yields. "Even under adverse climates with high temperature and high humidity, and when grown with organic and eco-friendly farming methods, the growth performance of its offspring is still very good."

Quan Zhonghe said that a small 20-50 gram Hualien No. 4 wild bitter melon fruit, after slicing and drying, is a good thing for clearing heat and detoxifying, "very suitable for health uses such as anti-inflammation and blood sugar regulation."