ໄທ: ມະຣະ, ມະຮະ, ຜັກໄຊ່, ຜັກຄະ, ຝັກໄຊ່, ຜັກສະໄລ່, ມະໄຮ່, ຝັກໄຮ່, ມະຣະຂີ້ນົກ, ຝັກຄ້າວ. ກຳປູເຈຍ: ມະເຣອາ. ຫວຽດນາມ: ໂຄກົວ, ມໍອົບດັງ, ມໍອົບມູ. ຈີນ: ກູງົວ ອັງກິດ: balsam apple, balsam pear, bitter cucumber, bitter lemon, bitterweed, bitterleaf leprosy gourd, bitter gourd, carilla fruit. ( Thai: mara, maha, phak sai, phak kha, fak sai, fak salai, mahai, fak hai, mara khi nok, fak khao Cambodian: mreah Vietnamese: kho qua, maw op dang, maw op muh Chinese: ku gua English: balsam apple, balsam pear, bitter cucumber, bitter lemon, bitterweed, bitterleaf leprosy gourd, bitter gourd, carilla fruit)

Cucumis argyi H.Lév.
Cucumis intermedius M.Roem.
Momordica charantia subsp. abbreviata (Ser.) Greb.
Momordica charantia f. abbreviata (Ser.) W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes
Momordica charantia var. abbreviata Ser.
Momordica charantia var. longirostrata Cogn.
Momordica charantia var. muricata (Willd.) Chakrav.
Momordica chinensis Spreng.
Momordica elegans Salisb.
Momordica indica L.
Momordica muricata Willd.
Momordica sinensis Spreng.
Momordica thollonii Cogn.
Sicyos fauriei H. Lév.

Cucurbitaceae

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Southern Mekong Corridor
Vientiane Plain
Northern Mekong Corridor

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Food
Medicine

The tender shoots, young leaves and immature fruit of this plant are eaten blanched. The fruit, which tastes less bitter when cooked in soup, is also used in a medicinal drink. It works as an anti-diabetic, and treats skin diseases, tumours, and viral infections like HIV, herpes, hepatitis, influenza and measles. In traditional Chinese medicine phak sai is used in the treatment of stomach and intestine infections. The leaves may be eaten raw in small quantities but pregnant women should not use it as the plant may cause abortion

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Nutrient	/100g	Remark
Proteins	N/A	N/A
Carbohydrates	N/A	N/A
Fats	N/A	N/A
Vitamins	N/A	N/A
Minerals	N/A	N/A
Fibers	N/A	N/A

NAFRI, NUoL, SNV.2007. Non - Timber forest products in the Lao PDR. A Manmual of 100 Commercial and Traditional products. The National Agriculture and Forestry Research Insititute.
Chen, Q.. Chan, L. L., Li, E. T. 2003. "Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) reduces adiposity, lowers serum insulin and normalizes glucose tolerance in rats fed a high fat diet". The Journal of Nutrition. 133 (4): 1088–93.
Lo, H. Y., Ho, T. Y., Lin, C. Li, C. C., Hsiang, C. Y. 2013. "Momordica charantia and its novel polypeptide regulate glucose homeostasis in mice via binding to insulin receptor". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 61 (10): 2461–8.