A review on Citrullus colocynthis Schrad.: from traditional Iranian medicine to modern phytotherapy - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

A review on Citrullus colocynthis Schrad.: from traditional Iranian medicine to modern phytotherapy

Roja Rahimi et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Jun.

Abstract

Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. is an annual plant that grows in the south, center, and east areas of Iran. It is recognized by different pharmacologic activities in traditional Iranian medicine (TIM) (i.e., purgative, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, analgesic, hair growth-promoting, abortifacient, and antiepileptic. Some of these activities were confirmed in modern phytotherapy. Adverse events such as colic, diarrhea, hematochezia, nephrosis, and vomiting and narrow therapeutic index cause herbalists to use this plant cautiously. If some points about this plant in TIM are considered, it may be possible to produce more tolerable preparations from this plant. In this article, all aspects of this plant in TIM are reviewed; also, the medicinal properties declared for this plant in TIM are compared with those showed in modern phytotherapy. In addition, opinions of TIM and modern phytotherapy about safety and acceptable dosage of this plant are discussed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources