Bottle Gourd/ Lauki/Dudi - Health benefits, application, chemical constituents, side effects and many

 

Bottle Gourd/ Lauki/Dudi

Bottle gourd (white flowered gourd) is an best warm-season fruit vegetable. It is grown throughout India and its fruits are available in the market throughout the year. It is one of the excellent fruit for human being made and gifted by the nature having composition of all the essential nutrients that are required for normal and good human health

It shows, Antiinflammatory, antioxidants, Antihyperlipidemic, diuretic, antihelmintic, Antihepatotoxic, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antistress and adaptogenic activity.

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It has different names in different languages such as English name(Bottle gourd, Long melon, Calabash,  white-flowered gourd, Bitter calbash gourd),  Hindi name(Titalouki, Kadavi louki, Lauki),  Marathi name(Dudhi),  Gujarati Name(Kadavi tumbadi, Dudhi, Tumada),  Tamil name(Surakkai),  Telugu name(Sorekaya, Sorakkaya),  Bengali Name(Titlaou, Ladu),  Kannada Name(Sorekai, Sorekayi),  Malayalam name(Pechura),  Urdu name(Lauki),  Manipuri name( Khongdrum)

Vitamins and Minerals content

Vitamins : B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C

Minerals : Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc

• Fruits of the sweet variety contain carbohydrate (2.5%), protein (0.2%), fat (0.1%) (ether extract), fibers (0.6%), mineral matter (0.5%), calcium and phosphorous (<0.01%) and iodine (4.5 μg/kg).

• The amino acid composition of the fruit is as follows: leucines, 0.8; phenylalanine, 0.9; valine, 0.3; tyrosine, 0.4; alanine, 0.5; threonine, 0.2; glutamic acid, 0.3; serine, 0.6; aspartic acid, 1.9; cystine, 0.6; cystiene, 0.3; arginine, 0.4; and proline, 0.3 mg/g.

• Fruits also contain two triterpenoids, 22-deoxocurcubitacin-d, and 22-deoxoisocurcubitacin d. The fruit skin contains crude protein, 17.5%; cellulose, 18.1%; and lignin, 8.0%.

• The seeds contain steroidal moieties like avenasterol, codisterol, elesterol, isofucasterol, stigmasterol, sitosterol, compesterol, spinasterol; and sugar moieties including rhamnose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose and saponin. Seed kernels are rich in iron, potassium, sulfur, and magnesium and particularly rich in copper (28.3 ppm); They can be used as a dietary supplement.

• Many aliphatic aldehydes were identified in this bottle gourd volatile oil such as octanal, nonanal, and decanal along with fruity, floral, and citrus odors.

• Additionally, glycosidic precursors of bottle gourd including 1,4-benzenediol (12.51%); 2-pentadecyn-1-ol (17.87%); 9,12-octadecadienal; and fatty acids such as palmitic acid and stearic acid 

Properties and Benefits

• Rasa (Taste) – Tikta (Bitter)
• Guna (Qualities) – Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry)
• Veerya (Potency) – Sheetala (Cold)
• Vipaka- Katu (Undergoes Pungent taste after digestion)
• Effect on Tridosha – Balances Vata and Pitta
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• 
  
• Vamaka (Induces emesis)
• Ahrdya (Not good for the heart muscles)
• Vishagna (reduces poisonous effect)
• Indicated in –
• Kasa – cough, cold
• Shwasa – asthma and chronic respiratory disorders
• Jvara – fever
• Visha – Toxic conditions, poisoning, insect bite etc.
• Shopha  – inflammation
• Vrana – Ulcers, wounds
• Shoola – abdominal colic pain

> Leaves of bottlegourd –

• Madhura – sweet
• Pittahara – useful in Pitta imbalance disorders such as gastritis, burning sensation, etc.
• Mutrashodhana – cleanses urinary bladder

Uses, benefits and  application

1) The fruits, leaves, oil, and seeds are edible and used by local people as medicines in the treatment of jaundice, diabetes, ulcer, piles, colitis, insanity, hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, and skin diseases. 

2) The fresh juice of bottle gourd is used for mouth wash and gargling to treat dental caries.

3) In Africa Hollowed-out and dried calabashes are a very typical utensil in households across West Africa. They are used to clean rice, carry water, and as food containers. Smaller sizes are used as bowls to drink palm wine. 

4) The medicated oil prepared from the leaves and root of Bottle gourd plant is used for external application to treat skin diseases, localized swelling and wounds.

5) The fruit, leaves and root of Lagenaria siceraria is used to induce emesis and purgation as part of panchakarma proceedures in Ayurveda.

6) The paste of the leaves of the plant is applied over the affected area due to insect bites along with pain and itching sensation.

7) A poultice of the crushed leaves has been applied to the head to treat headaches.

8) Dietary fiber present in Lauki/Bootle gourd helps in constipation, flatulence, and even in piles. 

9) Topical application of a mixture of bottle gourd juice and sesame oil on scalp gives beneficial results in baldness (hair loss). 

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10) In summer or hot conditions, bottle gourd juice prevents excessive loss of sodium, satiating thirst, and giving a cooling effect.

11) The decoction of the leaves and fruit is given 20-25 ml in divided dose to treat infections and skin diseases due to blood impurity.

12) The decoction of the fruit and leaves in a dose of 15-20 ml is given in empty stomach to treat intestinal worms.

13) The sweet variety of the fruit is used as vegetable in different parts of India.

14) The fruit pulp is used as an emetic, sedative, purgative, cooling, diuretic, antibilious, and pectoral. The flowers are an antidote to poison. The stem bark and rind of the fruit are diuretic. The seed is vermifuge. Extracts of the plant have shown antibiotic activity. Leaf juice is widely used for baldness.

15) Seed oil which have cooling effect, and can be applied in migraine type headache.

16) It is extremely popular for weight loss, especially bottle gourd juice or lauki juice when taken at noon.

17) In Ayurveda, it is also known to prevent premature greying and improve hair growth. It will not change the grey hair to black, but it will stop more greying as it contains B vitamins, pitta reducing and has a cooling effect on the scalp. 

            - Grate the bottle gourd and apply to the scalp with yogurt.

18) It's high nutrient and Anti-oxidant content shows Anti-aging effect.

19) Bottle gourd Sabzi : it contains 1 medium bottle gourd, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces, 1 Tbsp coconut oil or ghee, ½ cup bengal gram (chana dal), soaked for about 30 minutes in warm water, then drained thoroughly, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chili powder or green chilli paste (optional), Salt to taste, ¼ cup fresh grated coconut, for garnish along with mustard and cumin seed.

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20) It consists of approximately 96% of water and is therefore a great thirst quencher. It also prevents fatigue and keeps the body cool and refreshed during summers.

21) 10-15 small pieces (5-10 gram sized) are made and this is consumed one after the other (which is tasty like any raw vegetable) without adding spices and salt. This reduces all kind of burning complaints including burning of urine as well as during defecation. Person feels cooling effect for the next day itself.

22) Fresh juice of sweet bottle gourd is used to instill in both of the eyes. Which helps to relieves gritting and burning of the eyes caused during  conjunctivitis.

23) Sliced or grated bottle gourd is cooked well and milk is added (coconut milk can also be added). Further by adding jaggery or sugar candy it is stirred well till complete dissolution. And also you should add saffron or cardamom.   This recipe is commonly called lauki kheer.

                 - This relieves tiredness and is a good rejuvinator and sexual vigor enhancer (both in men and women).

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24) Bottle gourd soup is very useful in liver and gall bladder disaesses.

Side effects

1) Bitter bottle gourd should be discarded and not be used even after cooking. Only bottle gourd juice which is not bitter in taste may be consumed and that too in a limited quantity (i.e. less than 100 ml).

Some famous dishes in India as per different states and tradition

A popular north Indian dish is lauki channa, (channa dal and diced gourd in a semi-dry gravy). In the state of Maharashtra in India, a similar preparation called dudhi channa is popular. The skin of the vegetable is used in making a dry spicy chutney preparation. It is consumed in Assam with fish curries, as boiled vegetable curry and also fried with potato and tomatoes. Lauki kheer (grated bottle gourd, sugar and milk preparation) is a dessert from Telangana, usually prepared for festive occasions. In Andhra Pradesh it is called Anapakaya and is used to make Anapakaya pulusu (with tamarind juice), Anapakaya Palakura(curry with milk and spices) and Anapakaya Pappu (with lentils) Lau chingri, a dish prepared with bottle gourd and prawn, is popular in West Bengal. Although popularly called “Lauki” in Hindi in northern part of the country,It is also called kaddu in certain parts of country like eastern India. Interestingly Kaddu popularly translates to pumpkin in northern India. It is consumed as a dish with rice or roti for its medicinal benefits.

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