Trichosanthes dioica, also known as pointed gourd, is a tropical perennial cucurbit plant with its origin in the Indian subcontinent. The plant propagated vegetatively and grows with training on a support system (e.g., trellis) as pencil-thick vines (creepers) with dark-green cordate (heart-shaped) simple leaves. It is a well-developed dioecious plants having distinct male and female flowers on staminate and pistillate plants, respectively. The fruits are green with white or no stripes' and have unpalatable seeds. Size can vary from small and round to thick and long — 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm). It thrives well under a hot to moderately warm and humid climate. The plant remains dormant during the winter season and prefers fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil due to its susceptibility to water-logging.[2][3]
| Trichosanthes dioica | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gourd | |
| |
| Gourd plants Raihan | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Trichosanthes |
| Species: | T. dioica
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| Binomial name | |
| Trichosanthes dioica | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
India
editIt is widely cultivated in the eastern and some northern parts of India, particularly in Northeastern Andhra, Odisha, Bengal, Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. It is used as an ingredient for soup, stew, curry, sweet, or eaten fried and as potoler dorma or dolma with fish, roe or meat stuffing. It is called parwal in Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) (परवल / پرول).[4]
Bangladesh
editPointed gourd is locally known as পটল (patol). It is a vital summer vegetable in Bangladesh. It is cultivated and consumed in almost every district of the country. It is a perennial crop and sold at the end of October when there is a shortage of other alternative vegetables.[5]
Nutrients
editMost parts of T. dioica are used in local traditional medicine. The fruit constituents are minerals (Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Copper, and Sulphur), vitamins, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, pentacyclic triterpenes, and other bioactive compounds have proven that the pointed gourd promising.[6][7]
Pointed gourd is a good source of vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It also contains major nutrients and trace elements (magnesium, potassium, copper, sulfur, and chlorine) which are needed in small quantities, for playing essential roles in human physiology. 9.0 mg Mg, 2.6 mg Na, 83.0 mg K, 1.1 mg Cu and 17 mg S per 100 g edible part.[5]
In human culture
editThe fifteenth-century Hatha Yoga Pradipika 1.61-65 recommends Parwal as one of the foods suitable for yogins.[8]
Gallery
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Longitudinal section of Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) -
Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) matured seeds -
Cooked stuffed fruit -
Pointed gourds (known as "potol") from Bangladesh
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Trichosanthes dioica". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ Saurabh S, Prasad D, Masi A, Vidyarthi AS (April 2022). "Next generation sequencing and transcriptome analysis for identification of ARF and Aux/IAA in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.), a non-model plant". Scientia Horticulturae. 301: 111152. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111152. S2CID 248372356.
- ^ Saurabh S, Prasad D, Vidyarthi AS (June 2017). "In vitro propagation of Trichosanthus dioica Roxb. for nutritional security". Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology. 20 (2): 81–87. doi:10.1007/s12892-016-0059-0. S2CID 255839341.
- ^ "Perwal: a vegetable for cultivation in Sindh". Dawn. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ a b Malek, M., Miah, M. B., AL-Amin, M., Khanam, D., & Khatun, M. (2008), "In vitro regeneration in pointed gourd", Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, 32 (3): 461–471, doi:10.3329/bjar.v32i3.548
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Saurabh S, Prasad D, Masi A, Vidyarthi AS (April 2022). "Next generation sequencing and transcriptome analysis for identification of ARF and Aux/IAA in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.), a non-model plant". Scientia Horticulturae. 301: 111152. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111152. S2CID 248372356.
- ^ Saurabh S, Prasad D, Vidyarthi AS (June 2017). "In vitro propagation of Trichosanthus dioica Roxb. for nutritional security". Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology. 20 (2): 81–87. doi:10.1007/s12892-016-0059-0. S2CID 255839341.
- ^ Bernard, Theos (2007) [1950]. Hatha yoga : the report of a personal experience. Edinburgh: Harmony. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-0-9552412-2-2. OCLC 230987898.
External links
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- Article about parwal from Fort Valley State University College of Agriculture
- [1]