Good and bad classification of bitter melon ( Momordica charangia)

Bitter melon ( Momordica charangia) commonly known as pointed gourd, is a nutritious cucurbit vegetable ,exceptionally high in Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A, fiber, folate, potassium, zinc, and antioxidants like flavonoids, making it great for immunity, digestion, blood sugar control, and skin health, packed with vitamins and minerals but low in calories and sugar.
The standard shelf life of Bitter melon ( Momordica charangia) depends mainly on storage conditions:
4 to 14 days at room temperature. Rapid moisture loss, softening, and microbial spoilage occur due to high respiration rate.
The korola vegetable showing green to light green colour with relatively smooth and intact skin represent better-preserved samples, although slight shrivelling and surface dullness suggest moisture loss and advancing senescence. Bitter gourd spoilage involves rapid yellowing, softening, and microbial decay (fungi like Fusarium & Penicillium) due to high moisture, thin skin, and warm conditions, often appearing as spots or internal rot. Spoilage signs include yellowing, softening, red arils, mold, water-soaked spots, and internal browning or decay, primarily caused by natural ripening (senescence) and microbial growth, with chilling injury also a risk in fresh-cut forms. changes reflect high respiration rate, enzymatic breakdown of tissues, and microbial invasion during prolonged storage. The image clearly demonstrates that after 14 days, stored under uncontrolled or suboptimal conditions becomes unacceptable for consumption, confirming its limited shelf life.
Sample collection:-
Fresh and mature fruits of bitter melon were collected from local markets of Malda town, West Bengal, India (24°59′N, 88°08′E), and the collection location was mapped using GPS coordinates. Immediately after procurement, the samples were sorted to remove damaged or visibly spoiled fruits. The selected potol samples were first washed thoroughly with normal tap water to remove adhering soil and surface impurities. Digital images of the samples were captured using a smartphone Samsung galaxy F12A67F version 12 (Funtouch OS 12). The device was equipped with and 4 GB RAM, and 64 GB internal storage.Image acquisition was carried out daily for 14 consecutive days after purchase to monitor visual quality changes and shelf-life deterioration. Approximately 1000 images were captured per day, out of which 76 high-quality images per day were selected based on clarity, focus, and uniform illumination for further analysis. The image dataset was used to study progressive changes in color, texture, surface integrity, and microbial spoilage during storage. This systematic image acquisition protocol enabled continuous non-destructive monitoring of potol quality throughout the storage period.
In this dataset, the bad image folder contains 500 images of bitter mould and the good image folder also contains 500 images of bitter mould
Therefore, the total number of images in the dataset is 1000.