Citrullus colocynthis

Colocynth ( Citrullus colocynthis )

The colocynth ( Citrullus colocynthis ), also Pomaquinte, al - Handal, Koloquintenkürbis, Purgiergurke or devil apple, is a poisonous plant of the gourd family ( Cucurbitaceae ).

• 4.1 Notes and references

Features

The colocynth is a perennial, herbaceous plant with tubers. It grows prostrate or climbing, is 10 cm high and can grow over a diameter of two meters. The leaves are stalked and three to nine inches long and as wide. They are palmately lobed three to five times, have a heart-shaped leaf base. The leaf surface is hairy on both sides. The tendrils are simple or branched.

The flowers are usually single in leaf axils. They are usually yellow. The ovary contains 20-50 ovules. The simple style carries a three-lobed stigma. Bloom time is in the Mediterranean from May to September.

The fruit is a fleshy, green, white or yellow berry tanks from 25 to 70 (rarely 120 ) mm length and 25 to 80 (rarely 120 ) mm width. In 2012, the colocynth in Germany was chosen as a medicinal plant of the year.

Flower

Incipient fruit set

Fruits

Ripe fruit

Dissemination

The natural range of the colocynth is North Africa and Southwest Asia. It is, however wild and naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Australia, Europe, India, and Central Africa. Here they grow mainly in disturbed vegetation, river banks, flood plains, roadsides, etc. The colocynth grows up to 1200 m above sea level.

Use

The colocynth was and is grown as Medizinialpflanze, especially in the Mediterranean region, Africa, and India. Is used, the dried pulp of immature, but full-grown fruit. Some of the applications in folk medicine: ulcers, asthma, bronchitis, jaundice, dyspepsia, constipation, anemia; but also against tumors, dropsy, problems with the Harnablassen, in rheumatism, as an antidote to snake bites. The cultivated since the time of the Assyrian plant was also used in ancient Rome for rodent control. She probably ( about 990 to 930 BC) had already an important role in Israel's kingdom at the time of the famous wise king Solomon. Solomon had cast images of the ( most likely) colocynth as decoration on the edge to be water basin around install (see in the Bible 1 Kings 7.23 to 24 ). In addition, the non-bitter seeds are eaten and mined in Africa which consists of them used cooking oil.

Agents

The effect of colocynth based on their content of Cucurbitacinen, triterpenes with a bitter taste, which is up to three percent. The cucurbitacins in this plant B, E and J, are in free and in glycosidic form. The effect is based on the free Cucurbitacinen. The content in the fruit flesh is 0.22 %, 0.18% in the seeds, stems in 0.17% and 0.15% in the leaves.

Symptoms

The ingestion may cause irritation of the mucous membranes in the gastrointestinal tract and bloody diarrhea. Kidney damage and an abortive effect are possible. The cucurbitacins be cytotoxic and antimitotic. The active ingredients pass into the urine and breast milk and may cause abortion in pregnant women. Other symptoms of poisoning have ulcers, wall perforations, peritonitis, bleeding of the kidney and urinary bladder mucosal inflammation. Often hyperemia occur in the brain, delirium and collapse. Death occurs due to respiratory arrest. In homeopathy, the plant for diarrhea, enteritis and chronic intestinal catarrh is applied. Confusion of colocynth with watermelons or zucchini sometimes led to poisoning. This also poisoning in animals were observed who ate the fruit. The intake of 3 g of C. colocynthis is deadly. After exposure of the skin with the active substances there may be blistering.

Pharmacology

The cucurbitacins inhibit mitotic cell division and therefore act cytotoxic.

First Aid and clinical therapy

As a first aid administration of activated charcoal and sodium sulfate and the subsequent administration of much liquid. In the hospital after an overdose usually occurs gastric lavage, for example, with 0.1% potassium permanganate solution.

Documents

• P. Galán Cela: Citrullus. In Santiago Castroviejo Bolibar include: Flora iberica. Plantas de la Península Ibérica vasculares e Islas Baleares. Vol III - Plumbaginaceae ( partim) - Capparaceae. Real Jardin Botanico Madrid 2005, ISBN 84-00-06221-3, pp. 459-461. (Characteristics, distribution )
• Amanda Spooner, James Carpenter, Gillian Smith, Kim Spence: Citrullus colocynthis In: Flora Base - the Western Australian Flora accessed 17 April, 2008 (features, distribution ).
• R. W. Robinson, D. S. Decker -Walters: cucurbits. CAB International, Wallingford 1997, ISBN 0-85199-133-5, p 88 ( non-medical use)