Abstract Background: Diabetes is a common health condition associated with heightened glucose content in the blood due to impaired insulin production/function. Considering current societal trends, the number of patients with this condition is growing fast. To help this subset of the population, researchers are investigating natural products exhibiting hypoglycaemic effects. It is well known that one third of patients with diabetes mellitus use some form of complementary or alternative medicine. One plant that has received some attention for its anti-diabetic properties is bitter melon, or Momordica charantia, commonly referred to as bitter gourd, karela and balsam pear. Methods: Here, we analyze plant powder to identify and quantify some existence of heavy metals, present in karela using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Other analytical techniques employed included IR and UV. Results: AAS was performed and the plant was found to contain 0,019% of zinc, 0,051% magnesium, 0,021% iron and 0,198% calcium. Conclusion: This plant has a great pharmacological potential, especially within the treatment of diabetes. Keywords: Momordica charantia; Karela; Diabetes; Medicinal Plant; Atomic Absorption; Infrared; Ultraviolet