Bimbi

Botanical Name

Coccinia grandis (L.) Voig t.

Family

Cucurbitaceae.

Synonyms

Coccinia indica Wight & Arn, Bryonia grandis L. Cephalandra grandis Kurz

Regional Name

English : Ivy-Gourd, Hindi : Kundaruki-Bel, Sanskrit : Tundika, Tundikeri, Urdu : Kunduru, Punjabi : Kanduri, Assamese : Kawabhaturi, Bengali : Bimbu, Telakucha, Gujrati : Kadavighilodi, Ghilodi, Kannada : Tonde-Balli, Malayalam : Kova, Nallakova, Marathi : Tondale, Oriya : Pitakundii, Kainchikakudi, Tamil : Kovai, Telugu : Donda Tiga.

Part Used

Seed.

Description

Bimbi is found in a warm and humid climate. In general, it is found in the Southern Asian islands and West Indies. It is found wild in all overt India. Bimbi is a climbing or prostrate, much-branched, perennial herb. Fruits are pepo, ovoid, glabrous, 3.5 - 4.5 cm long and 1.5-2 cm thick, greenish-brown to yellowish-brown with white linings; no odor, and taste. Seeds are obovoid, 0.7 cm long, and 0.2-0.3 cm wide rounded at apex, much compressed, yellowish-grey colored.

Phytoconstituents

The main chemical constituents of Bimbi -contains resins, alkaloids, fatty acids, flavonoids, and proteins as chief chemical constituents. It also contains Aspartic acid, Glutamic Acid, Asparagine, Tyrosine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, And Threonine, Valine, Arginine. The fruits also contain alkaloids, steroids, tannins, saponins, ellagic acid, phenols, glycosides, lignans, and triterpenoids. Roots also contain- Triterpenoid, saponincoccinioside, Flavonoid glycoside ombuin 3-o- arabinofuranoside, Lupeol, β-amyrin, and β- sitosterol and Stigmast -7- en-3-one.

Medicinal Uses

It is used in gastrointestinal disturbances, liver weakness, mouth ulcers and stomatitis, dysentery, vomiting, chronic cough, cold, painful conditions and injuries, urinary tract infections, and diabetic conditions.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Madhura, Tikta, Guna : Guru, Ruksa, Vipaka : Katu, Virya : Sita, Karma : Atirucya, Chardikara, Lekhhana, Stambhana,Pittahara, Vatakara, Vibandhadhmanakara,

Ayurvedic Applications

Doha, Kasa, Svasa, Jvara, Raktavikara, Sopha, Pandu