Oxalate content of raw, wok-fried, and juice made from bitter gourd fruits

The total, soluble, and insoluble oxalate contents of fresh and wok-fried bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) fruits were extracted and measured using HPLC chromatography. Frozen bitter gourds were imported from Vietnam, and two cultivars characteristic of bitter gourd fruits grown in India and Malaysia were grown locally in the North Island of New Zealand. The mean total oxalate contents of ripe fruits from Vietnam, India, and Malaysia were 85.90 +/- 8.60 mg/100 g wet matter (WM), while the mean total oxalates fell to 88.06 +/- 0.95 mg/100 g FM when the fruits were wok-fried. The mean soluble oxalate content of the total oxalate was 54.42% of the ripe fruits and 58.14% of the wok-fried fruits. The three cultivars of bitter gourds were processed into juice by the addition of standard ingredients and then processed through a screw press to remove excess fiber. The final juices had an overall mean value of 27.11 mg of total oxalates/100 g WM; the mean soluble oxalate content was 85.5% of the total, which was much higher than that measured in the cooked gourds (mean 70.7%).