Citrullus colocynthis

Citrullus colocynthis, with many common names including colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, vine of Sodom, or wild gourd, is a poisonous desert viny plant native to the Mediterranean Basin and West Asia, especially the Levant, Turkey (especially in regions such as İzmir), and Nubia. It resembles a common watermelon vine but bears small, hard fruits with a bitter pulp. The plant contains cytotoxic cucurbitacins and is thus unsafe to use as an herbal medicine. It originally bore the scientific name Colocynthis citrullus.

Description

A pumpkin family plant. It is a climbing plant. It lies along the ground and keeps growing from year to year. The stems are like vines. They have soft hairs and tendrils at the nodes. Many stems arise from a stout woody taproot. The leaves are grey-green and have a long stalk. They are triangle shaped but with large rounded lobes. Both leaf surfaces have stiff hairs. The flowers have five yellow petals. The flowers occur singly on short stalks in the axils of leaves. The fruit can be 10 cm across. They have a dark and light green colour. The fruit turns yellow as it ripens. The pulp is white and bitter. Some varieties are sweet.

Edible Uses

The fruit, which is 5–8cm in diameter, must be cooked — first boiled in several changes of water to remove the bitter principle, then made into pickles and preserves. Seeds are cooked as well: they can be eaten roasted or ground into a meal for making chapattis, and desert Bedouin are said to prepare a type of bread from the ground seeds. Note that some confusion exists between this species and the closely related watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), whose seeds are used in much the same way; the name 'egusi' may refer to either or both plants, or more generically to other cucurbits, as a seed crop or as the basis of a popular West African soup. The seed flour is rich in micronutrients and could be valuable in food formulations, particularly in regions with low milk consumption such as West Africa. An edible oil is also extracted from the seeds; seed yield is approximately 6.7–10 t/ha, and with an oil content of 31–47%, oil yields can reach up to 3 t/ha.

Traditional Uses

CAUTION: The fruit is poisonous if regularly eaten. The fruit requires long boiling to remove the bitter principle. The skin is pierced before boiling. The water is changed several times. The seeds are washed with salt water many times. They are also buried with salt in sand and kept covered there for a few weeks. They are then washed and ground and made into flour. The coating is removed. The seeds are also roasted. The seeds yield an edible oil. The fruit are pickled.

Medicinal Uses

The dried, unripe fruit pulp constitutes the drug 'colocynth', a very strong laxative also used as an antirheumatic, anthelmintic, and hydrogogue, and as a remedy for skin infections. Both fruits and seeds are used in treating diabetes. The roots have purgative properties and are used to treat jaundice, rheumatism, and urinary diseases. Some caution should be employed in using this plant — see notes on toxicity.

Known Hazards

The plant contains a number of potentially toxic compounds and can be harmful if used in quantity. These compounds include elatermidine, glycosides, resin, dihydric alcohol, heltiacontane, citrullin and citrullinic acid. Taken in excess they can cause gastrointestinal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, hypothermia, cardiac disorders, cerebral congestion and necrosis of liver and renal cells.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is native to Tropical Africa. It grows in Mediterranean and warm temperate places. It grows on sandy soils, sand dunes and open plains. It is very drought tolerant. It produces best in dry, sunny periods. It grows in desert places. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, Algeria, Arabia, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Africa, Bahrain, Benin, Burkina Faso, Canary Island, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Chad, Cyprus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Europe, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinée, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Northeastern India, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rotuma, Sahara, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Socotra, Senegal, Sikkim, Somalia, South America, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, West Africa, Yemen,

Cultivation

It can be grown from seed or root segments.

Propagation

Seed.

Other Uses

The seeds contain 30–34% of a pale yellow oil, which also contains an alkaloid, a glucoside, and a saponin.

Production

In Sikkim fruit are available September to October.

Other Information

It is a famine food. It is cultivated.

Notes

There are 3 Citrullus species.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Andrian, Bitter Gourd, Desert squash, Egushi, Egusi, Etipuchchha, Felitsikiry, Handhal, IHanzal, ndrak, Indranan Indrani, Indravana, Indrayan, Kaduvrindavana, Kaud tumbha, Kor tumma, Kwariowa, Kyi-ah, Mahendravaruni, Makal, Marghone, Murrah, Paparabudana, Payamekkekayi, Peykkumutti, Peykommutti, Pirpandyan, Shary, Sierra Leone Gourd, Tarha marha, Tastumba, Thaisim hagong, Tlang donkho, Toos, Trooh, Tumba, Tumma, umtikayi, Unuun, Verittumatti

References (55)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 40 (As Colocynthis vulgaris)
• Akubundu, E. N. T., Cherry, J. P., & Simmons, J. G., 1982, Chemical, Functional, and Nutritional Properties of Egusi (Colocynthis citrullus L.) Seed Protein Products. Journal of Food Sci., 47, pp. 829–836.
• Al-Snafi, A. E. (2016), Chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Citrullus colocynthis - A review, IOSR Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 6, issue 3, pp. 57-64.
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 127
• Ayantunde, A. A., et al, 2009, Uses of Local Plant Species by Agropastoralists in South-western Niger. Ethnobotany Research and Applications. Vol. 7: 53-66

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