Citrullus Colocynthis (Garmunda)

Citrullus colocynthis, which has many common names including colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, desert gourd, sodom vine or wild gourd. It is a desert fruit and is mainly found in the Mediterranean basin and Asia, especially in countries such as Turkey. It resembles a common watermelon vine, but its fruits are bitter as well as harsh.

It is a wild fruit and in India it is found in abundance in South Haryana as well as Rajasthan. The native name of this fruit is Garmunda, which is dominated by its medicinal properties. It has been used equally for both humans and animals. Ripe fruits are dried and stored and grinded and fed when needed. Usually it is not cultivated, it grows automatically and its most favorable period for the growth and flourishing is during summer, which coincides with the rainy season.

Garmunda has been widely used in traditional medicine for centuries. In traditional veterinary medicine, colocynth has been used to treat skin eruptions in camels.  It is also used in urinary diseases and ascites. Its leaves are similar to watermelon and the flowers are yellow. The fruit is smooth, and extremely bitter to taste.

Recently, an investigator from the Central university of Haryana has claimed that just four days of syrup made from wild fruit “Garmunda” can lead to a complete discharge of the disease of sugar. He told that he has prepared this syrup after long research. It has been used on many people. Read More...