Shankhapushpi in the South.
Unani Mezereon Hindi. Siddha/Tamil Kakkanam.
Folk Koyal (Punjab).
Action Root—cathartic like jalap. Roots cause gripe and tenesmus, hence not recommended as purgative. Used in ascites. Root bark—diuretic (infusion used in irritation of bladder and urethra). Root juice—given in cold milk to liquefy phlegm in chronic bronchitis. The root, bark, seeds and leaves—used for gastric acidity. The root is administered with honey as a general tonic to children for improving mental faculty.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the dried leaf in migraine, psychoneurosis and mania.
An alcoholic extract of the plant showed sedative and hypothermic effect in rodents.
Rats, fed with ethanol extract of flowers, showed a significantly lowered serum sugar level in experimentally induced diabetes.
The seeds contain a nucleoprotein with its amino acid sequence similar to insulin, but for the absence of histidine, threonine, proline and crystine.
162 Coccinia indica W &A.
Seeds gave cinnamic acid, flavonol glycoside. Leaves contain glycosides of kaempferol.
In South India, the seeds and roots constitute the drug Shankhapushpi, used as a nervine tonic. In other regions, Canscora decussata, Convolvuluspluricaulis, Evolvulus alsinoides and Lavendula bipinnata are used as Shankhapushpi.
Dosage Root—1—3 g powder (API Vol. II); dried leaf—2—5 g; seed—i— 3 g. (API Vol. IV.)
Coccinia indica W. &A.
Synonym C. cordfolia Cogn. Cephalandra indica Naud.
Family Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat Cultivated in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu; wild in many parts of India.
English Ivy-Gourd.
Ayurvedic Bimbi, Tundi, Tundikaa, Tundikeri, Kunduru, Raktaphala,
Piluparni, Dantchhadaa.
Unani Kanduri.
Siddha/Tamil Kovvai.
Action Carminative, antipyretic, galactagogue. Powder of root is taken with water to stop vomiting.
