Trichosanthes Lobata

Botanical Name: Trichosanthes lobata Roxb.

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Introduction:

It is one of the drug among the Panca Tiktas in Rasa Tarangini. it is used extensively as diet and medicine. Patola root used in during the eighth month of pregnancy.

Which is bitter in taste. But this may be only a substitute of wild and bitter variety of T. dioica which my be scarcely available. Similarly Patoli has mostly been mentioned and used by Vagbhata for either of the two bitter varieties of Patola.

Names in different Indian languages

English	Wild snake gourd, bitter snake gourd
Hindi	Jamgali cicinda, tikta cicinda
Kannada	Kiripodla, kadupodavalu
Malayalam	Patolam, kattupadolam, kaypanpatolam, peppatolam
Sanskrit	Patola, tikta patola
Tamil	Kattupeppudal, peppudal
Telugu	Cetipotla, cedupotla, kommupotla
Unani	Parwal
Folk

Synonyms

Trichosanthes villosula Cogn.

Classification according to Charaka, Susrutha & Vagbhata

Charaka	Trptighna, Trsnãnigrahana
Susrutha	Patolãdi, Aragvadhadi
Vagbhata	Patolãdi, Aragvadhadi

Varieties & adulterants – (CV – controversy, AD – adulterants)

1. Madhura (sweet) – vegetable herb

2. Tikta (bitter) – medicinal herb

3. Patolikã

4. Patoli

5. Rãja Patola

6. T. dioica – vegetable herb [CV]

7. T. cucumerina –wild – medicinal herb[CV]

8. T.anguina

M. dioica

M. sahyadrica

T. cucumerina

T. nervifolia

Morphology

A annual monocecious climber with wooly stem having tendrils .

Leaves- simple, 7.5 x 5 cm., ovate-oblong, cordate, acute, rough on both surfaces, more or less 5 lobed.

Flowers- white, dioecious. Male in axillary raceme females axillary. Calyx-tube about 5. cm. Anthers free.

Fruit- ovoid, fusiform, oblong or nearly spherical, smooth, orange-red when ripe, seeds half-ellipsoid, compressed, surrounded with red pulp.

Distribution & Habitat

Throughout the plains of India, extending to Assam and Bengal, western Ghats. Also cultivated.

Chemical constituents:

nicotinic acid, riboflavin, vitamin C, thiamine, hydroxytryptamine, cucurbita-dienol. Colocynthin, trichosanthin, hentriacontane

Seed— linoleic, oleic, oleostearic (trichosanic) acids.

Root— Colocynthin, trichosanthin; hentriacontane.

Properties:

Rasa Tikta, Katu

Guna Laghu, Rüksa

Virya Usna

Vipaka Katu

Karma Kapha-pittahara, Varnya, Dipana, vranahara, hridya,

Virechana (root),

Laxative, thermogenic, digestive, caediotonic, suppurative, anti inflammatory, hypoglycaemic.

Different properties are present in the different parts of the same plant. The best example of it is patol.

Patola leaves – pittaghna; stalk – kaphaghna; fruit – tridoshaghna; root – purgative. Patol leaves are used in rasagat, raktagat, mamsagat jwara (Charaka – Jwara chikitsa);

According to Bavamisra

Leaf – pittahara

Fruit – Tridosha hara

Root – purgative

Srotogamitva:

Dosha : thridoshaghna

Dhatu :raktha, mamsa, Shukra

Mala :purisha

Organ : liver, skin

Indication:

Jvara, kustha, kandu, amlapitta, daha,visarpam, arsas

hyperacidity, jaundice, haemorrhoids, skin disease,psoriasis,boils, cough, asthma, ulcers, fever

Part used:

Whole plant

Dosage:

Leaf juice 10-15 ml

Powder 2-4 g

Decoction 50-100 ml

Internal uses:

External uses Root paste is used in headache as it is an analgesic, helps in wound cleansing and healing. Leaf juice is applied over wounds and alopecia.

Internal uses

Digestive system It improves the taste of mouth, appetite and also digestion. It is cholagogue, improves peristalsis, laxative and anthelmintic. Higher dose causes vomiting and diarrhoea (purgation). It is used in anorexia, loss of appetite, liver disorders, jaundice, ascites, piles and helminthiasis. Leaf juice induces emesis.

Circulatory system Patol is blood purifier and anti-inflammatory, so it is use in blood disorders and inflammations. Used in jaundice, as it is purgative.

Respiratory system Kaphaghna. Useful in cough caused by kaphadosha. The whole plant strengthens the chest.

Skin Kushtaghna. Effective in skin diseases with pruritus.

Temperature It is used in pittajwar’. typhoid, chronic fever.

Satmikaran Useful in weakness and has an antidote property.

Important Yogas or Formations:

Patolãdi ghrtam, Patolãdya cürna, Patoladi-kvatha, Patolãdi gana kvãtha, Kalingadi kvãtha.

Therapeutic Uses:

leaf use with jaggary for jwara
decoction useful to cleaning ulcer.