Devadali
Devadali is a substance used in the Ayurvedic materia medica. Cucurbitacins are lipophilic triterpenoids that absorb well from the GI tract but undergo hepatic metabolism. Fresh juice (Swarasa) provides highest bioavailability of volatile and labile constituents.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Devadali |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Tikta, Katu | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Tikshna | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
What is it made of?
Mineral/Elemental Profile
- Primary component: Mineral-derived preparation
- Note: Composition varies by specific preparation method
Analytical Methods: XRD, ICP-OES, SEM-EDS
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh juice), Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Tablet, Capsule
Standard Dosage: 5-10ml fresh juice twice daily; 3-6g powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction twice daily; 500mg extract capsule twice daily
Bioavailability: Luffa echinata (Devadali) contains cucurbitacins and saponins with moderate oral bioavailability. Cucurbitacins are lipophilic triterpenoids that absorb well from the GI tract but undergo hepatic metabolism. Fresh juice (Swarasa) provides highest bioavailability of volatile and labile constituents. Enhancement: lipid-based formulations or self-emulsifying systems improve cucurbitacin absorption. Co-administration with healthy fats (ghee, milk) as per traditional Anupana enhances lipophilic constituent uptake.
Optimal Timing: Before meals with warm water for hepatic conditions; fresh juice on empty stomach for maximum therapeutic effect
Standardized Extract: Hydroalcoholic extract standardized to NLT 2% total cucurbitacins by HPLC. Extract ratio 8:1. Fresh juice standardized by total saponin content.
Shelf Life: Fresh juice: use within 4-6 hours; 18 months (powder); 2 years (tablet/capsule)
Storage: Powder and extracts: airtight containers below 25 deg C, protected from moisture and light. Fresh material: refrigerate at 2-8 deg C.
Marker Compounds: Cucurbitacin B, Cucurbitacin E, Colocynthin, Saponins, Luffin (ribosome-inactivating protein)
Extraction Methods
- Cold-pressed fresh fruit juice (Swarasa)
- Aqueous decoction
- Hydroalcoholic extraction (60:40 ethanol:water)
- Ethyl acetate fraction for cucurbitacin enrichment
Synergistic Combinations
- With Katuki (Picrorhiza) for hepatoprotective synergy
- With Haritaki for purgative and liver-cleansing action
- With Bhringaraj for jaundice management
- With Punarnava for hepatorenal protective combination
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.