Roxb.
Family: Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal and Gujarat.
English: Bristly Luffa.
Ayurvedic: Devadaali, Devataadaka, Jimuuta, Garaagari, Kothaphala.
Siddha/Tamil: Panibira.
Folk: Bandaal (Varanasi).
Action: Fruit—purgative (intensely bitter and fibrous). An infusion is given in biliary and intestinal colic; also in nephritis and chronic bronchitis.
The fruit contains chrysoeriol and its glycosides as principal flavonoids. Seeds contain cucurbitacin B, triter- pene alcohols, and a saponin with olea- nolic acid as sapogenin.The alcoholic and ether extracts of the plant showed protection against CCl4-induced hepatic injury in rats. The aqueous extract of fruits is beneficial in jaundice as it significantly lowered serum bilirubin level in chlorpromazine-induced jaundice in rats and human patients. The ethano- lic extract (50%) of the plant exhibited hypoglycaemic activity.The yellow-flowered var. of De- vadaali (Eastern Himalayas, Sikkim, Bihar, Bengal) is equated with Luffa graveolens Roxb.
Dosage: Fruit—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)
Luffa cylindricaDescription: The luffa sponge is widely distributed and fairly typical of a wild squash. There are several dozen kinds of wild squashes in tropical regions. Like most squashes, the luffa is a vine with leaves 7.5 to 20 centimeters across having 3 lobes.Some squashes have leaves twice this size. Luffa fruits are oblong or cylindrical, smooth, and many-seeded. Luffa flowers are bright yellow. The luffa fruit, when mature, is brown and resembles the cucumber.Habitat and Distribution: A member of the squash family, which also includes the watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumber, the luffa sponge is widely cultivated throughout the Tropical Zone. It may be found in a semiwild state in old clearings and abandoned gardens in rain forests and semievergreen seasonal forests.Edible Parts: You can boil the young green (half-ripe) fruit and eat them as a vegetable. Adding coconut milk will improve the flavor. After ripening, the luffa sponge develops an inedible spongelike texture in the interior of the fruit. You can also eat the tender shoots, flowers, and young leaves after cooking them. Roast the mature seeds a little and eat them like peanuts.... wild gourd or luffa sponge
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