Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

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Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

Bitter Apple, Bitter Gourd, Colocynth, Vine-of-Sodom, Wild Gourd

Family

Cucurbitaceae

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Bitter Apple
Bitter Gourd
Colocynth
Vine-of-Sodom
Wild Gourd

Arabic Name(s)

el-'alqam العلقم
el-tuffah el-murr التفاح المر
hanthal حنظل
shari شري

Hebrew Name(s)

avatiakh ha-paqu'a

אֲבַטִּיחַ הַפַּקּוּעָה

Life Form

Hemicryptophytes

Habitat

Desert
Thermophilous plants

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Other Uses

Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Cancer	Cancer	Anti-carcinogenic	1. Decoct leaves & drink 1 cup x1/day for 1 mth. (B) 2. Decoct fruit & leaves in water & drink x3 cups/day. (TOXIC See CAUTIONS)	Fruit, Leaf	B, Z
Child Health	Strengthen baby`s legs	Non-specific	Peel green fruit, boil the rind in olive oil to obtain jelly; spread on baby's feet & knees to help walk first steps.	Fruit rind	Z
Dermatological	Hair growth	Hair restorer	Rub fruit rind on bald areas.	Fruit rind	Z
Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT)	Deafness	Non-specific	Extract juice from leaves & apply as eardrops.	Leaf	Z
Endocrine/ Metabolic	Diabetes mellitus	Hypoglycemic	1. Grind dried fruit & eat x1/2 teaspoon/day. 2. Eat seeds. (TOXIC See CAUTIONS)	Fruit, Seed	Z
Gastrointestinal	Constipation	Laxative	1. Decoct ground seeds & drink x2 cups/day for 1 week. 2. Use seeds as a suppository.	Seed	B
Gastrointestinal	Constipation (laxative)	Laxative	1. Cook fruit & drink extract (strong laxative). 2. Decoct fruit & leaves in water & drink x1 cup before sleeping. 3. Grind dried leaves & eat mornings. 4. Use rind.(Admin. not specified.) (See also NOTES)	Fruit, Fruit rind, Leaf	Z
Gastrointestinal	Diarrhea	Anti-Infective, Anti-diarrheal	Prepare infusion of fruits & drink x1 cup/day mornings.	Fruit	B
Gastrointestinal	Gastric pain	Carminative	Crush fruits, mix + sugar & eat x1 teaspoon/day; optionally add water to help swallow. (TOXIC See CAUTIONS)	Fruit	B
Gastrointestinal	Haemorrhoids	Anti-haemorrhoidal	1. Apply fresh fruit pulp as poultice to haemorrhoids. 2. Roast fruit & use as paste x2/day until healed.	Fruit	B
Gastrointestinal	Jaundice/ liver disease	Hepatic	1. Fill hollowed rind with milk, stand overnight & drink mornings.(Z) 2. Prepare juice from fruit & drink a few drops. (Z) 3. For liver disease: Use rind (Preparation/ Admin. not specified.) (Z) 4. (Jaundice): Apply x1 drop of fruit juice into nostril. (B) (TOXIC See CAUTIONS)	Fruit, Fruit rind	Z,B
Gastrointestinal	To induce diarrhea	Purgative	Rub foot with fruit (? rind). (Plant part unclear.)	Fruit rind	Z
General	Ascites	Anti-hydropic	1. Decoct root & use internally (Admin. not specified.) 2. Use rind. (Peparation/Admin. not specified.)	Fruit rind Root	Z
Helminth infections	Taenia; exterminate Tape worm	Anthelmintic, Vermifuge	Decoct root. (Admin. not specified.)	Root	Z
Helminth infections	Worms	Anthelmintic, Vermifuge	1. Fill hollowed rind with milk, stand overnight & drink mornings. 2. Prepare juice from fruit & drink a few drops. (TOXIC See CAUTIONS)	Fruit, Fruit rind	Z
Infectious Diseases	Elephantiasis (See NOTES)	Anti-Infective	Use rind as a compress & apply to affected leg.	Fruit rind	Z
Kidney & Urinary Tract	Diuretic	Diuretic	Decoct root & use internally. (Admin. not specified.) (TOXIC See CAUTIONS)	Root	Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Back pain & joint pain	Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory	1.Back pain: cook fruit in oil until turns red; cool & apply to painful area x1-2/day. (B) 2. Back & joint pain: peel green fruit & boil rind in olive oil to obtain jelly. Spread on back/ joints (Z)	Fruit, Fruit rind	B, Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Gouty & rheumatic pain	Analgesic, Anti-arthritic, Anti-inflammatory, Uricolytic	Make compress / bandage with rind & apply to affected area.	Fruit rind	Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Muscle spasm	Anti-spasmodic, Muscle relaxant	1. Decoct fruits & immerse feet in hot decoction. 2. Crush fruits, mix + olive oil & apply to affected area.	Fruit	B
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Rheumatism/ joint pain	Analgesic, Anti-arthritic, Anti-inflammatory	1. Squeeze fruits & apply juice to affected area daily for 2 weeks. 2. Cut fruits into 2 halves & place cut parts on affected area overnight.	Fruit	B
Nervous System	Epilepsy	Anti-convulsant	Cook fruit? & leaves? in olive oil & eat. (Plant part unclear.) (TOXIC See CAUTIONS)	Fruit, Leaf	Z
Respiratory	Asthma	Anti-asthmatic	Use rind. (Preparation/ Admin. not specified.)	Fruit rind	Z

Other Uses

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

System/State	Complaint / Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/Administration	Parts Used	Source
Veterinary	Jaundice in livestock	Hepatic	Decoct fruit & leaves in water & give x1 full cup for horses, cattle, goats, sheep to drink mornings.	Fruit, Leaf	Z

System/State

Complaint / Use

Activity / Interpretation

Traditional
Preparation/Administration

Parts Used

Source

Veterinary

Jaundice in livestock

Hepatic

Decoct fruit & leaves in water & give x1 full cup for horses, cattle, goats, sheep to drink mornings.

Fruit, Leaf

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.

Notes

1. In the recipe using Citrullus colocynthis rind as a laxative, Z mentions that to prevent abdominal cramps, "hil" (cardamon) or " sabra" (which may be Aloe ferox Mill.) can be added.
2. Citrullus colocynthis is used both as a strong laxative (Z) and also against diarrhea. (B)
3. Elephantiasis is caused by lymphatic obstruction often by parasitic worms causing enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling. Common in parts of Africa and Asia it is no longer found locally.

Cautions

Citrullus colycynthis can cause a severe purgative action with toxic doses associated with severe colic (abdominal cramps), diarrhea, nephrosis, vomiting, convulsions, paralysis & death due to circulatory collapse.