IJRPC 2018, 8(3), 437-441 Spandana et al ISSN: 22312781

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PHARMACY AND CHEMISTRY

Available online at www.ijrpc.com Review Article

BEST WEIGHT LOSS: BOTTLE GOURD Pallepati Lakshmaiah1, M. NagaJyothi2, V. Tulasi Ram3, T. Srilakshmi4 and Uppuluri Spandana5* 1Viswabharathi college of Pharmacy, N. R .T. Road, Perecherla, MD, Guntur District- 522 009,, . 2,3,4,5Nirmala college of pharmacy, Atmakur, Mangalagiri, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

ABSTRACT Bottle gourd (Lagenariasiceraria) is a green colour, longitudinal vegetable synonym calabash gourd belongs to the family cucurbitaceae. Bottle gourd most probably originated in tropical Africa, and occupies first place in India. It is only the crop known to have been cultivated in pre- columbian times in both the world and new world. Bottle gourd extracts of the plant shows antibiotic activity rich in vit- C, and thiamine. The fruit pulp is used as emetic, purgative, diuretic. Bottle gourd is also considered of the best weight loss. Bottle gourd reported activities are free radical scavenging activity, antioxidant activity, lipase inhibitory activity, diuretic activity, cardio protective activity, antimicrobial activity, lipid lowering activity, hepato toxicity activity.

Keywords: Bottle gourd (Lagenariasiceraria) and free radical scavenging activity.

INTRODUCTION Bottle gourd (LAGENARIA SICERARIA) is 1.1 scientific classification 1 also called as white-flowered gourd or Kingdom Plantae Calabash gourd. It is known by many other Sub kingdom Tracheobionta names like Long melon and Tasmania bean2.These fruits are mostly cultivated in Division Magnoliophyta Super warm climates. The gourd was one of the first Spermatophyta division cultivated plants in the world. It probably Class Magnoliopsida originated in Africa floating in sea to India, china, and New Zealand. Sub class Dilleniidae The young fruits are edible and usually cooked Order Violales as vegetable has cooling, diuretic, sedative Family Cucurbitaceae and anti-bilious action. The matured gourds Genus. Lagenaria ser. are made into water bottles, spoons, Species LagenariascicerariaStandl containers, pipes. They can also fashioned 3 into ornaments, musical instruments , lamps. 1.2 Synonyms Gourd is vine grown for its fruit. The bottle Lagenariasiceraria, calabash, calabash tree, gourd may have been carried from Africa to gourd vine Asia, Europe, and the Americas in the course 4. of human migration 1.3 Geographical distribution Bottle gourd is most probably originated in They grow in variety of shapes tropical Africa and occupies first place in India, Huge and rounded, small, bottle shaped and china New- Zealand. It could have been more than a meter long. spread by ocean currents to shores of the new

world. More than 10,000 year old archeological

records of its association. It is the only crop

known to have been cultivated in pre-

437 IJRPC 2018, 8(3), 437-441 Spandana et al ISSN: 22312781 columbian times in both the world and new- 400mm long, and 400mm broad,longpetioled, world. 5-lobed, softly hairy, crushed leaves are nonaromatic.Leaf stalks upto 300mm long, 1.4 Cultivation and collection hollow, densely hairy, small and lateral glands Gourds were cultivated in Africa, Asia, Europe are inserted at the leaf base. Margins are and the America for thousands of years before shallowly toothed. The apex of the plant is Columbus' discovery of America. Historically,In leathery surface with firm texture. Flowers are Europe,5. Walahfrid Strabo abbot and poet stalked(female flower stalks are shorter than from Reichenau and advisor to the male flower stalk),unisexual, axillary, the Carolingian kings, discussed the gourd in 5petals, cream or white coloured with darker his Hortulus as one of the 23 plants of an ideal veins, ovate, pale yellow at the base, flowers garden6,7. Bottle gourd is one of the popular are opening in the evenings. Fruits are large, vegetable crops cultivated in south East Asia. cylindrical, flask shaped constriction above the These vegetables are mostly grown in India middle. Seeds are many, embedded in a and fruits are available in throughout the world. spongy pulp, compressed, in some variants Bottle gourd usually comes to harvesting in 3 rather irregular and rugose. months and these flowers are white in colour and opened at night time. 1.6 Microscopy Transverse section oflagenariasicerarialeaf a) Climate shows the following features Hot and moist climate is favorable for its upper epidermis consist elongated cultivation. parenchymatous cells, covered by cuticle and also shows few stomata, which are of b) Soil and its preparation anisocytic type,palisade cells are also Bottle gourd can be grown in any type of soil present.Lower epidermis consist elongated but sandy loam soil is best suited for its wavy walled parenchymatous cells covered by cultivation. The land should be prepared cuticle,shows hexagonal to polygonal,large, thoroughly by five to six ploughings. thin walled colourless cells. Trichomes are present, while very few glandular trichomes c) Time of sowing and layout are also present. Mesophyll is made up of 3-4 sown from January The seed is to end of layered chloroplast containing, compactly February for summer crops. June to July for arranged, oval to circular cells. Vascular rainy season crop. bundles are surrounded by 2-3 layered sclerenchyma.They are closed, collateral, d) Methods of sowing and spacing conjoint. Xylem is placed towards the upper The seed is sown by dibbing method. epidermis and phloem towards the lower Generally three to four seeds are sown. Now- epidermis. a-days bottle gourds are grown by direct sowing of seeds 15to20 days. It is cultivated in 1.7 Chemical constituents small places such as in a pot and spread on a Fruits of the sweet variety contain roof. In rural areas, many houses with carbohydrate, fat, calcium and phosphorous, thatchedroofs are found covered with the fibres. Other mineral elements include iodine, gourd vine. Bottle gourd grow very rapidly and sodium, iron. The fruit is considered as good their stems can reach a length of 9m in the source of vitamin C, vitamin B complex and summer. So, they need a soil support to climb. also contains the highest level of choline-a To get more fruit, sometimes farmers cut off lipotropic factor8,9. The fruit skin contains crude the tip of the vine when it has grown to 6-8 feet protein, lignin and cellulose. long. The plant produces side branches that produce fruit much sooner and more flowers 1.8 Traditional uses and more fruit. The plant produces white  The fruit pulp is used as a emetic, flowers. The male flowers have long peduncles purgative, diuretic, cooling, sedative and the females have short ones with ovary and pectoral. shape of the fruit. Sometimes, the female  Bottle gourd is believed to help the flowers are drop off without growing into a liver function in a balanced fashion gourd due to failure of the pollination.  The fruits, leaves, stem, seeds and oils of “Lagenariasiceraria” are 1.5 Morphology traditionally used in the treatment of Dark green in colour, characteristic odourbitter diabetes, ulcer, cardiac failure, taste.Lagenariasicerariais 7.9-15.5 cm long, hypertension, and skin diseases elliptical shaped having entire margin and  Leaves are used as alternative parallel venation.Leaves are simple,upto purgative

438 IJRPC 2018, 8(3), 437-441 Spandana et al ISSN: 22312781

 Leaf juice is widely used for baldness 2.4 DIURETIC ACTIVITY  The stem bark and rind of the fruit are Bottlegourd is used as diuretic, cardiotonic, diuretic cardioprotective and nutritive agent. The Fruit  The flowers are an antidote to poison is also reported to have good source of vitamin  Extracts of the plant shows antibiotic B complex and choline along with vitamin B activity complex and choline along with fair source of  It is rich in thiamin, vitamin C, iron, vitamin c and B-carotene.The study relieve zinc, and magnesium thus helping in pulmonary congestion and peripheral improving overall health. edema.These agents are useful in reducing  Bottle gourd is also considered one of the orthopnea and decreasing blood pressure the best weight loss foods. and play an important role in hypertensive patients.The LSJE and LSME were found to II. PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES be active in renal system of rats. It shows 2.1 FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING maximal activity on dose response studies17. ACTIVITY The author reported that LSJE LSME act as The authors are reported, the acetone extract effective hypernatremic,hyerchloermic and it of bottle guard shows free radical scavenging has hyperkalemic diuretics and it has dose activity. The fruit was collected and dependent diuretic activity18. The vaccum dried epicarp,mesocarp and pulp containing seeds extract and methanol extract of were separated. Each of them was extracted LAGENARARIA SICERARIA was evaluated with different solvents in increasing order of for its diuretic activity. Both the extracts polarity. The author revealed that the showed urine volume and exhibited dose maximum antioxidant10 was observed in the dependent increased in excretion of acetone extract of fruit epicarp.Chemical electrolytes the author revealed that it indicate investigation revealed that radical scavenging potent diuretic activity of AELS and there is a activity may due to the presence of significant increase in excretion of urinary ellagitannins present in the acetone extract of volume, urinary Na+ and cl-19. epicarp11. 2.5 CARDIOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY 2.2 LIPASE INHIBITORY ACTIVITY Bottlegourd fruit extract juice in myocardial Aqueous extract was prepared through hot infraction. Myocardial infraction was induced in decoction method. The study suggests that male wistar rats by administration of LAGENARIA SICERARIA has potential to isoproterenol. LAGENARIA SICERARIA fruit inhibit pancreatic lipase activity,12 supressing juice was administered for 30 days as lipid digestion and there by diminishing entry of prophylaxis treatment. LAGENARIA lipids in to the body Regular intake of aqueous SICERARIA epicarp extract prevented decoction of the fruit may therefore be biomarkers of oxidative stress in doxorubicin recommended for control of obesity.Fatty acids induced cardiotoxicity.20 It contains flavonoids and their esters may play role as inhibitors of glycoside, phenolic components and saponins. lipase13. The author reported that it has cardiopdodective activity and fruit juice have 2.3 ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY some good effects at the level of infraction21 Bottle gourd juice was extracted and dried through vaccum distillation to obtain dry mass, 2.6 ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY followed by freeze drying to get semisolid LAGENARIA SICERARIA fruit extract mass for the purpose of qualitative and exhibited antifungal and antibacterial against quantitative phytochemical analysis. Whole selected pathogens using agar diffusion bottle gourd powder and pulp powder method and the minimum inhibitory remaining after juice extraction was also concentrations varied between 0.002 and analysed14. Antioxidant activity was assessed 0.100g/ml. The phytochemical screening of the by 1-1,diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicle different seeds extracts revealed the presence reducing capacity which showed IC50 of phlobatannins, phenols, deoxysugar, value.Total flavonoid content was assessed by carbohydrates and reducing sugars in variying applying method given by ordonaltho method quanties. The author reported that it contain given by kumaran for the analysis of proven potential to contain microbial agents totalflavanoids and flavanols15 in WBGP,which and microbial activity22. is the indicator of presence of antioxidant compounds in bottle gourd and its byproducts 2.7 HYPOLIPIDEMIC ACTIVITY/LIPID which are reported to be beneficial for health LOWERING ACTIVITY specially to combat metabolic stress16 LAGENARARIA SICERARIA fruit extract induced hyperlipedemicwistarrats. Aqueous

439 IJRPC 2018, 8(3), 437-441 Spandana et al ISSN: 22312781 fruit extract given orally at the dose of 200 and 6. Strabo and Walahfrid. De 400 mg/kg was given to high cholesterol diet culturahortorum (in Latin and induced hyperlipidemicrats. After eight weeks German). Näf, W.; ésGabathuler, M. of dosing the antihyperlipidemic activity was (ford.). ISBN 3-7995-3504-7Indian assessed by serum lipid levels.The author journal Exp Biol. 2000;05-09. reported that fruit extract cause a significant 7. Walahfrid Strabo. De reduction in serum lipid levels and increase in culturahortorumsiveHortulus VII high density lipoprotein cholesterol and shows Cucurbita (in Latin). Fachhochschule a significant antihyperlipidemic potential23 Augsburg: bibliotheca Augustana LAGENARIA SICERARIA freshly prepared Journal of Pharm. 2000;13-20. fruit extract administered daily on empty 8. Anonymous. The Wealth of India, The stomach for 90 days. Significant reductions dictionary of raw materials and found in triglycerides appreciable reductions in industrial products. Vol. 6. New Delhi, body mass index and blood pressure along India: CSIR; 161989;16. with a significant reduction in fasting blood 9. Rastogi RP and Melhrotra glucose levels. It shows dietary adjunct in BN. Compendium of Indian Medicinal treatment of human dyslipidemia and Plants. Vol. 1. New Delhi, India: PID; cardiovascular disease. The author reported 1990;237. that fruit extract exhibited significant lipid 10. Cenki S, Kargiogul M, Dayan S, Konuk lowering activity24. M and BL Turner. 2008;63. 11. Mullen W, McGinn J, Lean ME, Mc 2.8 HEPATOTOXICITY ACTIVITY Lean MR and Gardner P. Flavanoids Antitubercular drugs and bottlegourd fruit and other pheolics in red raspberries extractin healthy albino rats by oral route for and their contribution to antioxidant 15 day .On 16th day blood collection for activity and vasorelaxation properties. biochemical analysis is done by cardiac JAgric Food Chem. 2002;50:5191- puncture.Biochemical markers used are serum 5196. transaminases,serum alkalinephosphatase 12. Buchholz T, FMelzig M, Bustanji Y, total bilirubin,total protein, super oxide Mohammad M, Tawaha K and AL- dismutase and malondialdehyde.The above Masrip IM. Indian Journal pharm sci. ethanolic extract of LAGENARARIA 1996;58(5):385-388. SICERARIA fruit extracts possess significant 13. Maria Maqsood Dildar AhmedIqra hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity in Atique and Wajeeha Malik. Asian antitubercular drugs induced hepatotoxicity25. pacific journal of tropical medicine. 2017;10(3):305-310. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 14. Cheeke PR. Nutritional and The authors are thanks to the management, physiological implications of Principal of the Nirmala college of Pharmacy. saponins.A review J Anim. 2006;97- 99. 15. Harbone JB. Phytochemicalmethods A REFERENCES guide to modern technique of plant 1. Botanical Society of Britain and analysis, London, Champan and hall Ireland. Archived from the P. 1-302. original (xls). Journal of Tropical 16. Katare C, Saxena S, Agrawal S and Medicine. 2015. Prasad GBKS. Alleviation of diabetes 2. http://www.thekitchn.com/ingredient- induced dyslipidemia by spotlight-cucuzza-s-94464 Lagenariasiceraria fruit extract in 3. See Sally Price. When is a calabash human type 2 diabetes. J Herbal Med. not a calabash. (New West Indian 2013;3:1-8. Guide 56:69-82, 1982). 17. Shirwaikar A and Sreenivasan. 4. Erickson DL, Smith BD, Sandweiss, chemical investigation and activity of Clarke ACDH and Tuross N. An Asian the fruit extract. Indian J Pharm sci. origin for a 10,000-year-old 1996;58:197-202. domesticated plant in the 18. Lipschitz WL, Hadidian Z and Kerpar Americas". Proceedings of the A. Bioassay of diuretics. J Pharmacol National Academy of Sciences. Expther. 1943;79:97. 2005;102(51):18315–20. 19. Ghule BV, Ghante MH, Yeole PG and 5. Gemüse des Jahres. Der Saoji AN. Indian Journal of Flaschenkürbis (in German). pharmaceutical sciences. Schandelah: VEN – Verein J Pharm 2007;69:817. Res. 2002;2:1194–5.

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