Trichosanthes Fruit seeds Fructus Trichosanthis seed

LATIN NAME: TRICHOSANTHES KIRILOWII

COMMON NAME: Chinese Cucumber

The Chinese cucumber gourds the twining, branching vines with the large, heart-shaped, lobed leaves and the white, fringed flowers that open through the summer, the long, slender, green fruits following and maturing to the orange-red, the seeds held in the pulpy interior. The vine climbs the trellises with the quick growth, and the fruits hang down through the season. It likes the sun, and the rich, moist, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the gourd family, the trichosanthes vines have a long, useful record in the studies of the medicinal climbers, and the kirilowii species appears in the research on the root chemistry and the fruit development. The pharmacologists value the root preparations, while the food scientists note the seeds and the young fruits. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the growers of the unusual gourd vines keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the warm garden, the Chinese cucumber gourds the trellis with the long, colourful fruit. The roots have served the traditional preparations for the ages, the young fruits and the seeds serve the foods, and the large, lobed leaves cover the fence with the quick growth. It grows well in the rich, moist, well-drained, sunny ground. Useful, vigorous and warm-loving.

To grow the Chinese Cucumber from seed,

Sow the seeds into the warm, gritty mix of the deep pot, then cover them lightly, keep the pot in the warm, bright spot and water gently

Keep the pot warm and steadily moist, and give the young vine a trellis to climb. The long fruits come within the season.

. The seedlings shoot up within a couple of weeks, and they grow on fast. Settle the young vines in the sunny, rich, moist ground, and the long fruits will gourd the trellis over the late summer.

Common name:Trichosanthes tricuspidata seeds
Uses: Medicinal
Source of anti-HIV agent, Compound Q (GLQ223), extracted from the root. Recent in vitro laboratory studies with Compound Q showed great promise for AIDS treatment because it selectively kills only infected cells, leaving healthy cells untouched; clinical trials are not yet conclusive, however. Used in China to treat angina pectoris, to reduce phlegm, and since 300 A.D. to induce abortions.
Effects:
Clearing away heat, resolving sputum, promoting the flow of qi to soothechest oppression,subduing swelling to treat carbuncles, and moistening the bowels to relieve constipa-tion.
Used for:
1. Cough due tolung-heat withsymptoms of yellow and thick sputum, unsmoothexpectoration,fullness in the chest, dry stools, etc. It is often used with scutellaria root andarisaema treated with bile, as in Bolus for Clearing Heat and Phlegm (Qingqi HuatanWan).
2. Chest pain due to obstruction of qi in the chest. It is often used with macrostem onion, pinellia tuber andwhite wine, namedDecoction of Tricho-santhes, Allium and Pinellia (Gualou Xiebai Banxia Tang). For accumulation ofphlegm-heat in thechest manifested asfeeling of fullnessand stuffiness in the chest and hypochon-drium with tenderness, it is often used with pinellia tuber andcoptis rhizome, named Minor Decoction forRelieving Stuffiness in the Chest (XiaoXianxiong Tang).
3. Carbuncles ofbreast and pulmonary abscess. For red selling with burning pain at the beginning of acute mastitis, itis often used withdandelion and honey-suckle flower; for pulmonary abscess withpurulent and bloodyexpectoration, it is often used with houttuynia. 4. For drynesssyndrome of theintestines withconstipation, it isoften used with hemp seed and bush-cherry seed.
Dosage andadministration:10-20g of the entire fruit; 6-12g of the fruit peel; 10-15g of the seed; decocted in water for an oral dose. For obstruction of qi in the chest andsubcutaneous swelling or abscess, it is better to use the entire fruit; for cleaning heat, resolving sputum and promoting the flow of qi to soothe the chestoppression, it ispreferable to usethe fruit peel; forloosening the bowels and relieving consti-pation, the seed should be the choice.