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ABSTRACT:
Coccinia indica belonging to family Cucurbitaceae is distributed all over India, it is commonly known as Ivy gourd and the leaves, roots, fruits and bark has been used for various disorders in traditional and folk medicine. The plant is used as cathartic, antispasmodic, expectorant, etc. The leaves are used as anthelmintic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and antiulcer. Fruits are used as laxative, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, antileprotic. Roots are used as cathartic, antiarthritic, hypoglycemic.
The plant is known to possess various active constituents like steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins and Phenolic compounds. The plant is screened for hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiulcerogenic activity. The present review is therefore, an effort to give a detailed survey of the literature on the microscopical, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Coccinia indica.
This review supports all updated information on its phytochemical and pharmacological activities, traditional uses and scientific approach. Coccinia indica is one of the most important controversial and effective natural origin that has a tremendous future for research. The plant part contains important constituents and has been widely used for the treatment of large number of human ailments. The applicability of Coccinia indica is hidden and thus such things should be overcome through modern scientific concepts.
KEYWORDS: Coccinia indica, Traditional uses, Phytoconstituents, hepatoprotective activity, hypoglycemic activity, antioxidant activity.
INTRODUCTION:
Coccinia indica belonging to family Cucurbitaceae, commonly called as Ivy gourd (English), Kundasu (Hindi), Bimbi (Sanskrit).1 Coccinia indica is a perennial, scandent or prostrate, much branched, roots are thick, stems are grooved, slender, glabrous. The leaves are 5-10cm long and broad, bright green above, paler beneath, studded and sometimes rough with papillae. Fruits are in fusiform, ellipsoid, slightly beaked, marked when immature with white streaks, bright scarlet when fully ripe. Seeds are obovoid, rounded at the apex, slightly papillose, much compressed, yellowish grey in colour.2
The plant is used as cathartic, antispasmodic, expectorant, etc. The leaves are used as anthelmintic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and antiulcer. Fruits are used as laxative, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, antileprotic. Roots are used as cathartic, antiarthritic, hypoglycemic.1'2'3'
> Regional names:1
The plant is known by various names in different languages as follows:
Hindi name : Kundasu
Sanskrit name : Bimbi
English name : Ivy gourd
Tamil name : Kobai, Kai
Telgu name : Donda, Kapa
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