Advisory Services

Colocynth

Description: bitter apple   Description: b applle

 

BOTANICAL NAME:

  • Citrullus colocynthis Schard

FAMILY:

  • Cucurbitaceae

SYNONYM(S):

  • Cucumis colocynthis Linn

URDU NAME:

  • Indrayan

REGIONAL NAME:

  • Bengali: Indrayan, Makhal
  • Persian: Kavistetalk, Khurbuza-talkh
  • Hindi: Indrayan, Makhal
  • Pashto: Maraghonae
  • Sindhi: Trujogosht, Trujopar
  • Arabic: Hanzal, Hanzil, Aulqam
  • Punjabi: Tumbi, Ghuruniba
  • Baluchistan: Kurkushta
  • Lasbela: Darwawal, Kherengirini
  • Sibi: Marghuni, Truh
  • Zhob: Maraghuna,

UNANI/TIBBI NAME:

  • Hanzal

ENGLISH NAME:

  • Bitter Apple, Colocynth

HABITAT:

  • It grows commonly in desert areas. It is common in Sindh, Baluchistan, Lasbela, Bolan, NWFP, Punjab, and Attock

DESCRIPTION:

  • An annual or perennial herb
  • Stem prostrate or climbing, slender, angled, branched, tendrils simle, slender with hair
  • Leaves pale green in colour above whereas grayish on the underside, 3-7 lobed
  • Flowers pale yellow in colour
  • Fruits smooth, spherical, about 8cm in diameter, green when young turning yellow on ripening
  • Seeds brownish, ovate, numerous, contained in soft, spongy, bitter pulp, epicarp is thin.

PART USED:

  • Dried pulp of the fruit, Root

TASTE:

  • Bitter

TEMPERAMENT:

  • Hot 4°, dry 2°

PERIOD OF OCCURRENCE:

  • Plant grows wild in sandy and arid regions. The plant flowers and fruits from September to October

PROCEDURE & TIME OF COLLECTION:

  • Pulp of unripe, fully grown fruit from which the rind has been removed, is dried

CONSTITUENTS:

  • Colocynthis
  • Colocynthetin
  • Citrullol
  • Elatnin
  • Elatericin b
  • Dihydroelatenicin
  • Colodynthetin
  • Pectin
  • Gum

SUBSTITUTES:

  • Saccmonia/Scammony Resin(Convolvolus scainmonia Linn)
  • Kala-dana(Ipomoea hederaceae Linn)

ACTIONS AND USES IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE:

Pharmacological action:

  • Drastic hydrogogue
  • Cathartic
  • Diuretic
  • In large dose emetic
  • Gastrointestinal irritant
  • In small doses it is an alternative and expectorant

Therapeutic uses:

  • Dried Fruit Pulp- is extensively used as a drastic purgative, also in biliousness and intestinal parasites.
  • Roots- used as purgative, in jaundice, ascites, biliary diseases, rheumatism.

DOSES:

  • 1-2 g

CORRECTIVES:

  • Kateer/Tragacanth (Sterculia urens Roxb).
  • Roghan Badam/Almond Oil (Prunus ainygdalus Batsch).

IMPORTANT UNANI FORMULATIONS:

  • Hab-i-Ayarij
  • Itrifal-i-Deedan

ASTROLOGY:

  • Mars

 
By Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences