Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.
Colocynth, Bitter apple, Wild gourd (Biblical), Gall (Biblical)
Source: James A. Duke. 1983. Handbook of Energy Crops. unpublished.
- Folk Medicine
- Yields and Economics
- Biotic Factors
Dried pulp of unripe fruit is used medicinally for its drastic purgative and
hydragogue cathartic action on the intestinal tract. When the fruit is ripe
its pulp dries to form a powder used as a bitter medicine and drastic
purgative. This powder is so inflammable that the Arabs collect it to use as
kindling. The fruit is used to repel moths from wool. In India, the vine is
planted as a sand binder. Seed, often removed from the poisonous pulp and
eaten in Central Sahara regions, contains a fixed oil.
Considered cathartic, ecbolic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hydragogue, purgative,
and vermifugal, the colocynth is used for amenorrhea, ascites, bilious
disorders, cancer, fever, jaundice, leukemia, rheumatism, snakebite, tumors
(especially of the abdomen), and urogenital disorders. According to Hartwell
the plant figures into remedies for cancer, carcinoma, endothelioma, leukemia,
corns, tumors of the liver and spleen, even the eye. It is interesting to note
that this folk cancer "remedy" contains three antitumor ingredients:
cucurbitacin B (active against PS-134 and KB tumor systems), cucurbitacin E
(active against LL and KB systems) and the D-glucoside of beta-sitosterol
(active against CA, LL and WA tumor systems). The pulp or leaves is a folk
remedy for cancerous tumors. A decoction of the whole plant, made in juice of
fennel, is said to help indurations of the liver. Roots may also be used as
purgative against ascites, for jaundice, urinary diseases, rheumatism, and for
Active drug contains an ether-chloroform soluble resin, a phytosterol glycoside
(citrullol), other glucosides (elaterin, elatericin B and dihydro-elatericin
B), pectins and albuminoids. Bitter substance is colocynthin and
colocynthetin. Roots contain a-elaterin, hentriacontane, and saponins. Per
100 g, the seed is reported to contain 556 calories, 6.7 g H2O, 23.6 g protein,
47.2 g fat, 19.5 g total carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 3.0 g ash, 46 mg Ca, and
580 mg P. The oil contains oleic, linoleic, myristic, palmitic, and stearic
acids. Seeds contain the phyto sterolin (ipurand), 2 phytosterols, 2
hydrocarbons, a saponin, an alkaloid, a polysaccharide or glycoside, and tannin.
Annual or perennial (in wild) herbaceous vine; stems angular and rough; leaves
rough, 3- to 7-lobed, 5-10 cm long, middle lobe sometimes ovate, sinuses open;
flowers monoecious, solitary, peduncled, axillary, corollas 5-lobed; ovary
villous; fruit a pepo, nearly globular, 4-10 cm in diameter with somewhat
elliptical fissures, about size of small orange, green and yellow variegated
becoming yellow when ripe, with hard rind, pulp light in weight, spongy, easily
broken, light yellowish-orange to pale yellow; intensely bitter; seeds
numerous, ovoid, compressed, smooth, dark brown to light yellowish-orange,
borne on parietal placenta. Fl. summer.
Many cvs have been developed, but drug from these is inferior. Cultures in New
Mexico produce large fruits but are less active. Reported from the Hindustani
and Mediterranean Centers of Diversity, colocynth, or cvs thereof, is reported
to tolerate bacteria, drought, high pH, low pH, sand and virus (2n = 22,
24) (Duke, 1978).
Native to dry areas of North Africa, being common throughout the Sahara, areas
of Morocco, Egypt and Sudan, eastward through Iran to India and other parts of
tropical Asia. Has been known since Biblical times and cultivated in the
Mediterranean region, especially in Cyprus and in India for many centuries.
Ranging from Cool Temperate Moist through Tropical Desert to Wet Forest Life
Zones, colocynth is reported to tolerate annual precipitation of 3.8 to 42.9 dm
(mean of 10 cases = 11.9), annual temperature of 14.8 to 27.8°C (mean of 10
cases = 22.5), and pH of 5.0 to 7.8 (mean of 8 cases = 6.8). A highly
xerophytic plant, it thrives where mean annual temperature is from 23-27°C
and annual rainfall ranges from 25-37 cm. Thrives on sandy loam, subdesert
soils, and along sandy sea coasts.
Easily cultivated from seed, as it grows rapidly, requiring no attention once
fields have been sown.
In most regions where it is native, the crop is harvested from wild plants.
Fruits gathered when still unripe but fully developed. Fruit is hand-picked,
the thin, hard, gourd-like outer ring (pericarp) removed by peeling, and inner
white spongy pulp filled with seeds, is dried in the sun or in ovens. Seeds
constitute about 75% the weight of the dried product. Commercial colocynth
occurs in two forms: as pulp from which most of seeds have been removed, and as
'bitter apples' or masses of pulp filled with seeds that have been rolled into
balls. Both forms usually shipped in boxes.
Duke (1978) reported a seed yield of 6,700 kg/ha. Commercial supplies obtained
from wild and cultivated plants. Sudan is the main source for the United
States; also imported from Spain and Turkey, which supplies the finest grade.
In Egypt plant is not cultivated but fruit yields from wild plants supply small
amount of yellow pulp.
If yields of 6,700 kg/ha are attainable with low energy inputs, and if oil
yields are 47.2% as the Food Composition Tables suggest, oil yields might
exceed 3,000 kg/ha, placing this among the serious oilseed energy candidates,
with medicinal byproducts. (cf. 3,000 kg seed/ha with 24-34% oil for the
buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima.)
The following fungi are known to attack colocynth: Colletotrichum
bryoniae, Erysiphe cichoracearum, E. polyphaga, E. semitectum, Fusarium
oxysporum, and Puccinis citrulli. The Bottle gourd mosaic virus and
the nematode, Meloidogyne sp. also attack this plant.
Complete list of references for Duke, Handbook of Energy Crops
- Duke, J.A. 1978. The quest for tolerant germplasm. p. 1-61. In: ASA Special
Symposium 32, Crop tolerance to suboptimal land conditions. Am. Soc. Agron.
last update July 8, 1996