bitter apple, bitter paddy melon, INDRAY

CITRULLUS COLOCYNTHIS (INDRAYAN) is an herb, The root, bark, and leaves of Colocynthis are used medicinally and show mild stomach, bitter tonic, diuretic, and antihthic properties. It is used as purgative and diuretic. The fruit is bitter, pungent, and pure, used for anthelmintic, antipyretic, gout, tumor, leucoderma, ulcer, asthma, etc.

Uses:- Dried pulp of unripe fruit is used medicinally for its drastic purgative and hydragogue cathartic action on the intestinal tract. When the fruit is ripe its pulp dries to form a powder used as a bitter medicine and drastic purgative. This powder is so inflammable that the Arabs collect it to use as kindling. The fruit is used to repel moths from wool. In India, the vine is planted as a sand binder. Seed, often removed from the poisonous pulp and eaten in Central Sahara regions, contains a fixed oil.