Colocynth

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Greece, Spain, India, Kurdistan

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Abortifacient, Ascites, Bilious, Cancer

Science studied: ANETHOLE, ANISALDEHYDE, ARACHIDIC-ACID, ASCORBIC-ACID

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Scientific name: Citrullus colocynthis

Common names: Colocynth, /, Acıkarpuz, Bitter-Melone, Coloquinte vraie, Coloquintide, Ebucehil Karpuzu, Kolokwint, Koloquinte, Koloquinthe (DE); Colocynth (EN); Cohombrillo melonero (ES), Paddymelon, Sártök, alhandal, bitter apple

POWO: 291930-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Elsewhere, Sudan, Greece, Spain, India and 1 additional place.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Abortifacient
• Ascites
• Bilious
• Cancer
• Cathartic
• Emmenagogue
• Fever
• Hydragogue

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Turkey
• Iraq
• Egypt
• Elsewhere
• Sudan
• Greece
• Spain
• India
• Kurdistan

Documented cultural uses

• Abortifacient
• Ascites
• Bilious
• Cancer
• Cathartic
• Emmenagogue
• Fever
• Hydragogue
• Repellant(Insect)
• Jaundice
• Leukemia
• Parasiticide

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Abortifacient · Turkey · "
• Ascites · Iraq · "
• Bilious · Iraq · "
• Cancer · Turkey · "
• Cathartic · Egypt · "
• Cathartic · Elsewhere · "
• Cathartic · Sudan · "
• Emmenagogue · Turkey · "
• Fever · Iraq · "
• Hydragogue · Elsewhere · "
• Repellant(Insect) · Egypt · "
• Jaundice · Iraq · "
• Jaundice · Elsewhere · "
• Leukemia · Greece · "
• Parasiticide · Iraq · "
• Purgative · Spain · "
• Purgative · Turkey · "
• Purgative · Elsewhere · "
• Repellant(Insect) · Sudan · "
• Rheumatism · Egypt · "
• Rheumatism · Elsewhere · "
• Tumor(Abdomen) · India · "
• Urogenital · Kurdistan · "
• Amenorrhea · Iraq · "

6 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Synergistic Effects of Citrullus Colocynthis Biodiesel and Hydrogen on Combustion and Emission Characteristics of CI Engines · 2026 source ↗
• Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles using extracts from Citrullus colocynthis and their anticancer activity. · 2026 source ↗
• Synthesis of flavonoid-stabilized gold nanoparticles using Citrullus colocynthis for anticancer therapy: experimental and molecular insights. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ANETHOLE
• ANISALDEHYDE
• ARACHIDIC-ACID
• ASCORBIC-ACID
• BENZYL-ALCOHOL
• CAFFEIC-ACID
• CHLOROGENIC-ACID
• CITRAL
• CITRONELLAL
• CITRULLINE
• CITRULLOL
• COLOCYNTHEIN
• COLOCYNTHIN
• COLOSIDE-A
• CUCURBITACIN-B
• CUCURBITACIN-E

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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