Lagenaria siceraria fruit: A review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology, and promising traditional uses

Abstract

Since ancient times, the Cucurbitaceae family is used as a therapeutic option in human medicine. This family has around genera and species. Researchers have studied the various plants of this family including Lagenaria siceraria due to their medicinal potential. Various properties are beneficial for human health, that have been attributed to L. siceraria like antioxidant, hypolipidemic, diuretic, laxative, hepatoprotective, analgesic, antihypertensive, cardioprotective, central nervous system stimulant, anthelmintic, free radical scavenging, immunosuppressive, and adaptogenic. The fruit of this plant is commonly used as a vegetable that has a low-calorie value. The species possess a diverse set of biological compounds like flavonoids, sterols, saponins, and terpenoids. Vitamins, choline, flavonoids, minerals, proteins, terpenoids, and other phytochemicals are also found in the edible parts of this plant. Besides di erent amino acids, many minerals are reported to be present in the seeds of L. siceraria. According to the USDA nutritional database per g of L. siceraria contains Kcal energy, . g carbohydrates, . g protein, . g fat, and . g fiber. L. siceraria performs a wide range of pharmacological and physiological actions. The literature reviewed from various sources including PubMed, Science Direct, Google scholar, etc. shows the remarkable potential to treat various human and animal illnesses due to its' potent bioactive chemicals. The key objective of this thorough analysis is to present a summary of the data about the beneficial and harmful e ects of L. siceraria intake on human health, as well as in veterinary fields.

Phytochemical composition of Lagenaria siceraria fruits from KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, South Africa

“…Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley of the Cucurbitaceae family is used for food and in many traditional medicine systems ( Saeed et al, 2022 ). Due to the sessile nature of the plants, they are vulnerable to herbivory ( Divekar et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Tender fruits of L. siceraria are traditionally used as a cardiotonic, general tonic, liver tonic for liver disorders, an aphrodisiac, pain relief, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and diuretic agent promoting proper kidney function ( Deshpande et al, 2008 ; Saeed et al, 2022 ). The above health benefits are an indication of the exceedingly high content of isoprenoids and organic acids ( Sosnowska, Kajszczak, & Pods˛edek, 2022 ).…”

Diversity in Fruit Phytochemical Composition among <em>Lagenaria siceraria</em> Landraces

“…Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family is a highly priced plant used in many traditional medicine systems [1]. Due to the sessile nature of the plant, they are vulnerable to herbivory [2].…”

“…L. siceraria tender fruits are traditionally used as a cardiotonic, general tonic, liver tonic for liver disorders, an aphrodisiac, pain relief, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and diuretic agent promoting proper kidney function [1,9]. The above health benefits are an indication of exceedingly high content of isoprenoids and organic acids [10].…”

Enhancement of Bottle Gourd Oil Activity via Optimized Self-Dispersing Lipid Formulations (SDLFs) to Mitigate Isoproterenol-Evoked Cardiac Toxicity in Rats via Modulating BNP, MMP2, and miRNA-21 and miRNA-23a Genes’ Expression

“…Bottle gourd (BG) ( Lageneria siceraria ), from the Cucurbitaceae family, is a climbing plant cultivated in tropical countries as a vegetable crop, including Thailand, Egypt, India, and Japan [ 4 , 5 ]. Members of the Cucurbitaceae family are also known as gourds, melons, or pumpkins [ 6 ] and are found in various sizes and shapes.…”