Home » Plant infomation

Citrullus colocynthis (Linn.) Schrad.

Botanical Name

Citrullus colocynthis (Linn.) Schrad.

English Name

Bitter Apple. Bitter Cucumber and Colocynth

Synonym(s)

Colocynthis vulgaris Schrad. Cucumis colocynthis. Linn.

Family

Cucurbitaceae

General Info

Description

A scabrid perennial with prostrate or climbing angular stems and bifid tendrils. Leaves ovate or triangular, deeply 3-lobed, lobes sinuately pinnatifid; flowers monoecious, yellow, solitary, axillary; pepo or gourd 4-10 cm in diam, smooth, globose, green mottled with yellow blotches, pulp bitter, spongy; seeds numerous, white or light brown.

Herb Effects

Hypoglycemic (plant) and laxative (fruit).

Links

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.
Botanical.com

Chemistry

Active Ingredients

Ascorbic acid, beta-sitosterol, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, citrulline, colocynthin, cucurbitacin-B, ferulic acid, quercitrin (fruit); citrullene, citrulluic acid and scitrullin (fruit juice); alpha-amyrin, linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid (seed); anethole, anisaldehyde, benzyl-alcohol, citral, lauric acid, limonene, p-cymene (petiole); citronellal, citronellol, methyl-eugenol, oleanolic acid (plant)

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Colocynthin

1398-78-3

[6-hydroxy-6-[16-hyd
roxy-4,4,9,13,14-pen
tamethyl-3,11-dioxo-
2-[3,4,5-t rihydrox
y-6-(hydroxymethyl)o
xan-2-yl]oxy-8,10,12
,15,16,17-hexahydro-
7H -cyclopenta[a]ph
enanthren-17-yl]-2-m
ethyl-5-oxo-hept-3-e
n-2-yl] acetat e

C₃₈H₅₄O₁₃

Ascorbic acid

Not Available

2-(1,2-dihydroxyethy
l)-4,5-dihydroxy-fur
an-3-one

C₆H₈O₆

beta-Sitosterol

5779-62-4

17-(5-ethyl-6-methyl
-heptan-2-yl)-10,13-
dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9
,11,12,14, 15,16,17
-dodecahydro-1H-cycl
openta[a]phenanthren
-3-ol

C₂₉H₅₀O

Caffeic acid

Not Available

3-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)prop-2-enoic acid

C₉H₈O₄

Chlorogenic acid

327-97-9

3-[3-(3,4-dihydroxyp
henyl)prop-2-enoylox
y]-1,4,5-trihydroxy-
cyclohexan e-1-carb
oxylic acid

C₁₆H₁₈O₉

Citrulline

627-77-0

2-amino-5-carbamoyla
mino-pentanoic acid

C₆H₁₃N₃O₃

Cucurbitacin B

Not Available

[6-(2,16-dihydroxy-4
,4,9,13,14-pentameth
yl-3,11-dioxo-2,7,8,
10,12,15,1 6,17-oct
ahydro-1H-cyclopenta
[a]phenanthren-17-yl
)-6-hydroxy-2-methyl
-5 -oxo-hept-3-en-2
-yl] acetate

C₃₂H₄₆O₈

Ferulic acid

24276-84-4

3-(4-hydroxy-3-metho
xy-phenyl)prop-2-eno
ic acid

C₁₀H₁₀O₄

Quercitrin

6151-25-3

2-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)-4,5-dihydroxy-3-
(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-
methyl-oxa n-2-yl)o
xy-chromen-7-one

C₂₁H₂₀O₁₁

alpha-Amyrin

638-95-9

4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,12,1
4b-octamethyl-2,3,4a
,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,
12a,14,14a -tetrade
cahydro-1H-picen-3-o
l

C₃₀H₅₀O

Linoleic acid

8024-22-4

Octadeca-9,12-dienoi
c acid

C₁₈H₃₂O₂

Oleic acid

8046-01-3

octadec-9-enoic acid

C₁₈H₃₄O₂

Palmitic acid

66321-94-6

hexadecanoic acid

C₁₆H₃₂O₂

Stearic acid

82497-27-6

octadecanoic acid

C₁₈H₃₆O₂

Anethole

8022-08-0

1-methoxy-4-prop-1-e
nyl-benzene

C₁₀H₁₂O

Anisaldehyde

50984-52-6

4-methoxybenzaldehyd
e

C₈H₈O₂

Benzyl alcohol

185532-71-2

phenylmethanol

C₇H₈O

Citral

96680-15-8

3,7-dimethylocta-2,6
-dienal

C₁₀H₁₆O

Lauric acid

8045-27-0

Dodecanoic acid

C₁₂H₂₄O₂

Limonene

9003-73-0

1-methyl-4-prop-1-en
-2-yl-cyclohexene

C₁₀H₁₆

p-Cymene

Not Available

Dichlororuthenium;
1-methyl-5,6-dihydro
-4H-pyrimidine;
p-cymene

C₁₅H₂₄C_l2N₂Ru

Citronellal

26489-02-1

3,7-dimethyloct-6-en
al

C₁₀H₁₈O

Citronellol

26489-01-0

3,7-dimethyloct-6-en
-1-ol

C₁₀H₂₀O

Oleanolic acid

508-02-1

10-hydroxy-2,2,6a,6b
,9,9,12a-heptamethyl
-1,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a
,10,11,12, 13,14b-t
etradecahydropicene-
4a-carboxylic acid

C₃₀H₄₈O₃

Pharmacology

Medicinal Use

Rheumatism, urinary disorders and jaundice (root); for constipation, amenorrhea and dropsy (Colocynth pulp which is freed from seeds); Diabetes (plant).

Reference

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.

Bentley and Trimen, Medicinal Plants.

Johnson T. CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference (www.herbweb.com/herbage).

Dealers

Products

More Info

Search for Pictures

Search for Scholarly Articles

Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names