Luffa

At a glance

Origin / distribution: China, Iraq, Haiti, Kurdistan, Dominican Republic, Guinea

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Analgesic, Antiseptic, Carminative, Cathartic

Science studied: AMARIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, ASH, CARBOHYDRATES

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: Luffa aegyptiaca

Common names: Luffa, Smooth Loofah, Vegetable Sponge, Blustru, Bucha, Bucha-vegetal, Courge éponge, Eponge végétale, Liane torchon, Esponja, Estropajo, Loofah, Plant sponge, Luffa Sponge, Luffa d'Égypte, Luffa d'Égypte, Patole, Pipangaille, Pipangaye unie, Musú, Native Towel-gourd, Patola, Pepinille de esponja; Sponge gourd, Schwammgurke, Schwammkürbis, Servilleta de pobre, Smooth Luffa

POWO: 293060-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in China, Iraq, Haiti, Kurdistan, Dominican Republic, Guinea.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Analgesic
• Antiseptic
• Carminative
• Cathartic
• Dropsy
• Dysentery
• Emetic
• Enterorrhagia

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• China
• Iraq
• Haiti
• Kurdistan
• Dominican Republic
• Guinea

Documented cultural uses

• Analgesic
• Antiseptic
• Carminative
• Cathartic
• Dropsy
• Dysentery
• Emetic
• Enterorrhagia
• Hematochezia
• Hemostat
• Hernia
• Menorrhagia

Cultural record detail

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

• Analgesic · China · "
• Antiseptic · China · "
• Carminative · China · "
• Cathartic · Iraq · "
• Dropsy · Haiti · "
• Dysentery · China · "
• Emetic · Kurdistan · "
• Emetic · Dominican Republic · "
• Emetic · Haiti · "
• Enterorrhagia · China · "
• Hematochezia · China · "
• Hemostat · China · "
• Hernia · China · "
• Menorrhagia · China · "
• Metrorrhagia · China · "
• Orchitis · China · "
• Ozoena · China · "
• Parasiticide · China · "
• Pectoral · China · "
• Piles · China · "
• Purgative · Dominican Republic · "
• Scarlet-Fever · China · "
• Smallpox · China · "
• Swelling · China · "

19 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

• ASGV-mediated virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in Luffa aegyptiaca: a rapid functional genomics platform for an economically important medicinal cucurbit · 2026 source ↗
• Molecular characterization and population structure analysis of luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca Mill.) germplasm using inter‑Primer Binding Site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers · 2025 source ↗
• Genome-wide identification and characterization of lipoxygenases gene family in Luffa aegyptiaca revealed downregulation of LOX genes under heat stress. · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• AMARIN
• ASCORBIC-ACID
• ASH
• CARBOHYDRATES
• BETA-CAROTENE
• CUCURBITACIN-B
• FAT
• FIBER
• IRON
• LINOLEIC-ACID
• LUFFAMARIN
• MAGNESIUM
• NIACIN
• OLEANOLIC-ACID
• PALMITIC-ACID
• PHOSPHORUS

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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