Medicinal use of bitter apple

Bitter apple herb is useful in treating abdominal ailments, skin diseases, intestinal worms, inflammation etc. Learn some medicinal uses of this fruit.

Colocynth or Bitter apple is an annual or perennial creeper growing wild in the warm, arid and sandy tracts of North West, Central and Southern parts of the India. Colocynth is, in moderate doses is drastic, hydrogogue, cathartic and diuretic. In a small doses, it is expectorant and alterative. Colocynthin is a cathartic and intensely bitter principle. It has a purgative action. All parts of the plant are very bitter. The fruit has been described as cathartic.

bitter apple

General Information

  • Latin name: Citrullus colocynthis (Linn. ) Schrader. syn. Cucumis colocynthis Linn
  • Family: Cucurbitaceae
  • Ayurvedic: Indravaaruni, Indravalli, Indravaarunikaa, Gavaakshi, Chitraa, Chitraphalaa, Indraasuri, Mrigaani, Mrigairvaaru,
  • Vishaalaa, Vishaalyka, Indraayana,  Aindri
Bengali: Rakhal
English: Colocynth, Bitter apple
Gujarati: Indrayan
Hindi: Badi indrayan, Makkal
Kannada: Havumekke
Malyalam: Kattu Vellarikkai, Valiya Pekkummatti
Indrayanalata, Garukhiya
Punjabi: Indrayana
Tamil: Peitummatti
Telgu: Chedupuchcha, Peikummatti
Urdu: Hanjal
Unani: Hanzal.
Siddha: Kumatti
Marathi: Endrayana
Oriya: Gothakakudi

Medicinal uses of bitter apple

  • Boils, pimples

    Externally apply fruit pulp at affected area.

  • Pimples, Acne

    Wash to clean roots of the herb. Then extract its juice by crushing and adding water. Apply externally at affected areas.

  • Constipation

    Take its fruit juice (150 ml), add (1/4 teaspoon each) of hing, ajwain, elaichi, rock salt. Mix this juice (1/4 tsp) in lukewarm water and drink.

  • Piles, rheumatism

    Prepare pills by grinding Piper longum and Roots of citrullus colocynthis in eqaul quantities. Dry in sun. Take one pill with water.

  • Breast inflammation, joint pain

    Apply paste of root on the affected area.

  • Cough, intestinal worm

    Wash and dry roots of the herb. Grind to make powder. Add thus prepared churna (one pinch) in hot water and drink.

The Dosage of bitter apple

The safe dosage of this herb, dried fruit 125-500 mg powder, root: 1-3 gm powder

Side effects of bitter apple

In large doses it can cause stomach problems, It is emetic and gastro-intestinal irritant.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.