Common Name
English :Sponge gourd
Hindi :Ghiya tori /Ghiatorai
Manipuri :Sebot
Scientific Name
Group :Angiosperm (dicotyledon)
Family :Cucurbitaceae
Genus :Luffa
Species :cylindrica Mill.
Habit :Large tendril climber
Parts Used :Stem, Seed & Leaf
Mode of Preparation :Fresh shoot boiled for extract. Seeds crushed & soaked in water for infusion purpose. Fruits boiled/cooked for consumption. Seeds used for oil extraction. Fruits eaten as vegetables; fruit sponge used in bathing.
Mode of use :Decoction
Ingredients :Amino acids such as Lysine, Arginine, Aspartic acid, Glycine, Threonine, Glutamic acid, Alanine, Tryptophan, Phenylaline and Luecine are reported in fruits.
Ailment Treated:Shoot extract is good for liver diseases, abnormal stoppage of menses and anaemia. Seed infusion is used to expel worms from the body. Boiled fruit is diuretic, tonic and carminative. Seed oil is toxic and useful in skin diseases.
Source:Extensively cultivated in private lands.