Luffa cylindrica - Icyangwe

Multifunctional creeper providing food, oil, medication and sponges

Luffa cylindrica M. Roem. (Cucurbitaceae)

Synonyms : Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. ; Momordica luffa L. ; Bryonia cheirophylla Wall.

Luffa cylindrica Icyangwe (Rwanda)
Icyangwe dans notre jardin à Nyamata (Rwanda)

Noms vernaculaires

- Kinyarwanda: Icyangwe (pl. ibyangwe)
- Kirundi: Inyuko
- Kiswahili: Uziuzi, madodoki, mdodok
- Kikongo: Nsaka-nsaka
- Ngwaka: Nzunzu, Monzombo (DRC)
- Ndokola: Emuka (DRC)
- Yoruba: Kankan-ayaba
- French: Pétole, Louffa, Courge éponge, Courge torchon, Courge du hammam, Éponge végétale.
- English : Dishrag gourd, Rag gourd, Sponge gourd, Vegetable-sponge, Smooth luffa, Dish-cloth gourd, Egyptian cucumber or Vietnamese luffa
- Indonesia: Blustru, emes (Sundanese), Petulo panjang (Halmaheru)
- Malay: Ketola manis, Petola buntal
- Philippine: Patola (Tagalog), Kabatiti (Ilocano), Kabawang (Tagbanua)
- Cambodia: Ronôông muul
- Laotia: Bwàp khôm
- Thai: Buap-hom (central), Buap-klom (northern)
- Vietnamese: Mướp hương.

Description :

Luffa cylindrica is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Cucurbitaceae, monoecious, with stems equipped with tendrils reaching 15 m length, climbing if it meets a support or crawling in its absence. The plant produces ellipsoid or cylindrical fruits reaching 60 to 90 cm × 10 to 12 cm. These fruits

Luffa cylindrica is one of 7 species, genus Luffa of which 4 are native to the Old World tropics and 3 are slightly more distant and native to South America.

Luffa cylindrica is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, as a cultivated and naturalized plant. Its cultivation is of ancient origin and it is difficult to determine whether the plant is native to Africa or Asia.

There are cultivated and wild forms within the species Luffa cylindrica:
- Luffa cylindrica also called Luffa aegyptiaca: cultivated forms with large fruit with sweet or slightly bitter pulp, with different cultivars for the production of the best sponges or vegetables.
- Luffa cylindrica var. leiocarpa (Naudin) Heiser & Schilling: wild forms found in Asia.

Use

Culinary Uses

Immature fruits, young leaves, and flower buds of both species can be used as vegetables. They should be harvested before the fibrous vascular bundles of the fruit harden and before the bitter purgative compounds develop.

Immature fruits are usually cooked or fried and used in soups. Young fruits of sweet cultivars can be eaten raw like cucumbers and berries are sometimes pickled in vinegar or brine. They can be sliced and dried for later use.

The leaves are also eaten as a vegetable.

The roasted seeds are edible and contain an oil that is equally so.

In Asia, where Luffa has multiple vernacular names, the ways to accommodate the unripe fruit are multiple :
- In Vietnamese cuisine, "mp hương" is a common ingredient in soups and stir-fried dishes.
- In Gujarat, "turya" is usually prepared with abundant tomato sauce and garnished with green chilies and fresh coriander.
- In Assam, "bhul" is prepared with tangy fish curry and taro.
- In Tamil Nadu, peerkangai is used as a vegetable in curries: peerkangai kootu, poriyal, thogayal; it is also dipped in a chickpea-based paste and fried. The skin is prepared in chutney.
- In Kerala, "peechinga" is fried, sautéed, or cooked with dal.
- In Manipur, "Sebot" is prepared with potatoes, dried or fermented fish; it is also fried or steamed and eaten as a puree.
- In Japan, hechima is commonly used as a fresh vegetable or cut and dried for later consumption.
In Maharashtra, India, the fruit is cooked with pounded peanuts or beans.
- In West Bengal and parts of nearby Bangladesh, it is eaten fried or cooked with shrimp, fish or meat.

Simple recipes

Steamed Luffa

1. Peel, cut the fruit into large pieces and steam.
2. Chop the garlic very finely and heat it with oil.
3. Add clear soy sauce.
4. Steam the luffa pieces for 8 minutes.
5. Pour some of the sauce on each luffa piece.

Luffa Stir-Fry with ground pork

1. Peel, cut and steam the fruit into large pieces.
2. Chop, and fry the pork in a drizzle of oil, seasoned with oyster sauce, a pinch of salt and sugar, and chicken stock.
3. Add the luffa pieces at the end.

Vegetable Sponges

As the fruit ages, most of the initially soft internal tissue (used as a vegetable) disappears and dries out. The endocarp - their inner part - evolves into a persistent fibrous vascular network. This fibrous network is easily removed from ripe fruits by removing the dry rind and removing the seeds. They form a soft and tender "sponge", which regains its initial shape after being pressed and is rot-proof. These properties make it particularly suitable for washing the body, fabrics and for cleaning windows and dishes.

Luffa fibers are also used :

- for the manufacture of hats, shoe soles, wiper blades, pot holders, place mats, doormats, shower mats, sandals and gloves.
- for their shock and sound absorbing properties, e.g. in helmets and armored vehicles
- as filters in engines.
- to filter water and palm wine (Ghana).
- for brushing clothes (Central Africa).
- for bio-adsorption of heavy metals from olive oil refinery wastewater and other wastewater.

Medicinal properties

The chemical compounds in the plant have

- antihistamines (moderators of hypersensitivity reactions)
- antiasthmatic
- antitussive and expectorant
- immunostimulants,
- anti-inflammatory
- oxytocics (inducers of uterine contraction to accelerate delivery)
- antitumor agents
- antiviral

Different parts of Luffa cylindrica are used in folk medicine to treat respiratory ailments such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, pain, inflammation, pharyngitis and rhinitis.

Partap S, Kumar A, Sharma NK, Jha KK. "Luffa cylindrica: An important medicinal plant." J Nat Prod Plant Resource. 2012; 2(1):127-134.

Aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed antiasthmatic, antitussive and expectorant effects. Oral and intraperitoneal administration of extracts suppressed cough induced by sulfur dioxide and ammonium aerosols and increased phenol excretion in the airways in mice.
Intraperitoneal administration of L. cylindrica extract decoction inhibits histamine-induced asthma. These scientific facts support its traditional use in the treatment of asthma.

Muthumani P, Meera R, Subin M, Jeenamathew DP, Kameswari B, Eswara PB. "Phytochemical screening and anti- inflammatory, bronchodilator and antimicrobial activities of the seeds of Luffa cylindrical. Res J Pharm Biol & Chem Sci. 2010;1(4):11-22.

Bor et al (2006) who compared the antioxidant activity of 25 vegetables found that fresh daylily followed by Luffa fruit developed the highest antioxidant activity. The presence of functional components such as polyphenols could be responsible for this effect

[Bor JY, Chen HY and Yen GC. "Evaluation of antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production of some common vegetables". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2006; 54(5):1680-1686].

Israt Jahan Bulbul et al (2011) studied the antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate leaf extracts. Based on the results obtained, the researchers suggest that luffa leaf extracts can be a potential source of natural antioxidants, antimicrobial compounds and anticancer agents for use in the treatment of various oxidative disorders, infectious diseases caused by resistant microorganisms and cancer, respectively.

Israt Jahan Bulbul et al, Comparative Study of In vitro Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activity of Two Bangladeshi Medicinal Plants- Luffa cylindrica L. and Luffa acutangula, Pharmacognosy Journal, volume 3, issue 23 (2011)

Traditional medicinal uses

Examples of indications and associated preparations in traditional African medicine

- cicatrisation of wounds, maturation of abscesses, care of oedemas: paste of leaves or leafy stems in local application. (Congo, Gabon, Togo)

- edemas: fruit pulp applied locally (Guinea)

- emollient: fruit pulp applied locally (Guinea, Nigeria)

- skin problems seed oil

- constipation: root preparations

- stomach ache: decoction of leaves (South Africa).

- intestinal problems: leaf preparation (Guinea-Bissau)

- stomach ache leaf juice crushed with water for oral use (Rwanda)

- antiparasitic (pinworm): leaves pounded pro recto (Central African Republic)

- antiparasitic (filaria): leaf juice (Congo)

- powerful purgative: fruit juice

- liver diseases: leaf decoction (Togo)

- migraines: leaf macerate in head bath (DRC)

- blennorrhagia: leaf macerate for oral use or enema (DRC)

- tumors: fruit pulp applied locally (Guinea)

- cancer: fruit and leaves as infusion and poultice (Southwestern Nigeria)

- cancer of the nose: preparation based on roots (Gabon)

- facilitation of childbirth (oxytocic effect): leaf preparation (Uganda)

- abortive: decoction of roots and leaves orally or as an enema (DRC)
[In Tanzania, root decoction and leaf juice are listed as being used to reduce the risk of abortion, but this use seems doubtful in view of the proven oxytocic properties of the plant.]

- whooping cough: aqueous maceration of fresh leaves (Congo)

- coqueluche : macération aqueuse de feuilles fraîches (Congo)

Published online by La vie re-belle
 28/02/2021
 https://lavierebelle.org/luffa-cylindrica-icyangwe

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