Luffa as Medicine
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| Luffa gourds hanging below trellis |
Aside from sponges, culinary vegetables and seed flour, the luffa also possesses potent medicinal qualities. Modern medicine has studied and applied some of these qualities for use in immunoregulatory medicines (including transplant and skin graft therapy), HIV treatment, antimicrobial applications and cancer treatments.
Traditional medicine in Asia and Africa used luffa leaves, vines, flowers, fruits and seeds to treat a wide variety of ailments: as a dewormer, as a wound-healing external application, as an asthma and anti-inflammatory treatment, and as a uterine contraction stimulant. Studies since the 1990's have validated the efficacy of luffa extracts for all of these uses, with extensive evidence for immune-system modulation and wound-healing acceleration, as well as microbe inhibition.
Luffa has a high degree of safety when administered orally, even in highly concentrated extracts, although pregnant women should avoid taking luffa, as the plant can cause abortions. The list of studies below provide details on extraction methods, dosages, and efficacy, primarily of the seeds of luffa cylindrica, although the whole plant has been examined for medicinal applications.
Luffa Medicinal Studies:
"Constituents and pharmacology of Luffa cylindrica-A review" (2019) Al-Snafi, Ali Esmail.
"Cytotoxicity of Luffa cylindrica (L.) M.Roem. extract against circulating cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma" (2019): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874118329489
"Evaluation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities of the leaf extracts of Luffa cylindrica" (2018) Onyegbule, Felix A., et all.
"Proteins with abortifacient, ribosome inactivating, immunomodulatory, antitumor and anti-AIDS activities from Cucurbitaceae plants" (1992): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0306362392901313
Want to know more? Navigate to our other posts on luffa:
Luffa Medicinal Studies:
"Constituents and pharmacology of Luffa cylindrica-A review" (2019) Al-Snafi, Ali Esmail.
"Cytotoxicity of Luffa cylindrica (L.) M.Roem. extract against circulating cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma" (2019): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874118329489
"Wound Healing, Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Properties of Luffa cylindrica (Linn.) Seed Extracts" (2015) Antia, Bassey S. et all.
"Traditional and medicinal uses of Luffa cylindrica: a Review" (2013) Azeez, Musibau Adewuyi; Adewumi Omobola Adedeji and Olugbenga Solomon Bello.
"Immunomodulatory effects of two sapogenins 1 and 2 isolated from Luffa cylindrica in Balb/C mice" (2007): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960894X07000121
"Traditional and medicinal uses of Luffa cylindrica: a Review" (2013) Azeez, Musibau Adewuyi; Adewumi Omobola Adedeji and Olugbenga Solomon Bello.
"Immunomodulatory effects of two sapogenins 1 and 2 isolated from Luffa cylindrica in Balb/C mice" (2007): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960894X07000121
"Proteins with abortifacient, ribosome inactivating, immunomodulatory, antitumor and anti-AIDS activities from Cucurbitaceae plants" (1992): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0306362392901313
Want to know more? Navigate to our other posts on luffa:
- Luffa overview
- Luffa in the garden
- Luffa as food
- Luffa sponges
Interested in growing luffa yourself? Email us to purchase seed!
Safety Note
Be cautious when using any medicinal plants. All plants are subject to variability in cultivar, age, growing location, soil, climate, stress, fertilization, etc. Thus, dosage with any herb or medicinal plant is never precise, as it is with isolated chemicals, and caution is required with any supplementation or therapeutic use of plant-derived medicines. Please consult with a trained professional if relying upon herbal remedies, and always remember to inform your primary care physician if you use plant-based supplements or medicines. There can be interactions with prescribed medications, as well as allergic reactions. When first using any medicinal plant, start small and observe caution; be alert for signs of negative reaction and discontinue if side effects arise, until you can discuss your concerns with a trained herbalist. Natural remedies are still chemicals! Use common sense and be safe.
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