Koshataki
Luffa acutangula
Koshataki (Luffa acutangula) is a plant drug, also called Dhamarg, Jali and Jalini. Cucurbitane triterpenoids show moderate oral absorption enhanced by lipid carriers. Sapogenins have improved bioavailability in SNEDDS formulations. Nasya administration of juice provides direct nasal mucosal delivery; it is traditionally used in pratishyaya (rhinitis).
| Botanical name | Luffa acutangula |
|---|---|
| Identity source | Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. III: KOSATAKI (Whole Plant) |
| Family | Cucurbitaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Cucurbitales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 2874601 · Wikidata Q1948703 · NCBI Taxonomy 56866 |
| Sanskrit | Dhamarg, Jali, जालिनी (jālinī), Krtavedhana, तिक्तकोषातकी (tiktakoṣātakī) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | तोरई (toraī), Satputia |
| English | Ribbed Gourd |
| Tamil | Peerkku, பேய்ப்பீர்க்கு |
| Malayalam | Peerkam Kai |
| Telugu | Beera, Chedu beeha, Varri beera |
| Kannada | Hire-Valli |
| Marathi | Dodka Turiya |
| Bengali | Zinga |
| Gujarati | Kadawa, Turiya |
| Urdu | Turai |
| Punjabi | Turiya |
| Oriya | Tarada |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; Herbarium JCB / India Flora Online (IISc), Luffa acutangula: Sanskrit "Jalini"; efloraofindia gives जालिनी in Devanagari.; Herbarium JCB / India Flora Online (IISc), Luffa acutangula: Sanskrit "Jalini, Tikta-koshataki"; efloraofindia gives तिक्त कोषातकी and जालिनी.; MMPND "Sorting Luffa names" lists for Luffa acutangula, Hindi: "Peerkankai, Jhinga torooee, Jhingli torai, Kali, Torai (Torooee), Turai, Hireballi."; efloraofindia, Luffa acutangula: Tamil "ஆகாசவேணி akaca-veni, பேய்ப்பீர்க்கு pey-p-pirkku"; Herbarium JCB gives "Akaca-veni, Pey-p-pirkku, Tittakocataki".. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2018 to 2024, every one with a DOI.
- 2Other clinical studies and reviews
- 10Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit | Koshataki |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Tikta | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Ruksha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh juice), Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Nasya (nasal drops), Capsule, Beeja Churna (seed powder)
Standard Dosage: 5-10 mL fresh fruit juice; 2-4 g powder twice daily; 30-50 mL decoction; Nasya: 2-4 drops per nostril; 500 mg capsule
Optimal Timing: Nasya: early morning on empty stomach, traditionally used for sinus conditions; internal preparations: after meals; juice: morning for respiratory benefit
Storage: Fresh juice must be used immediately or refrigerated (2-8°C) for max 6 hours. Dried preparations in airtight containers at 15-30°C. Seed oil in dark glass bottles at cool temperature.
Marker Compounds: Luffin (ribosome-inactivating protein), Cucurbitacin B, Oleanolic acid, Sapogenins, Linoleic acid, Oleic acid, Beta-sitosterol, Stigmasterol
Synergistic Combinations
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Other clinical studies and reviews2
- 2021. Genetic diversity and population structure of ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula) accessions in a Thailand collection using SNP markersScientific reports. PMID 34321535 · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-94802-4
- 2018. Therapeutic Potential of Luffa acutangula: A Review on Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicological AspectsFrontiers in pharmacology. PMID 30459601 · doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.01177
Laboratory and animal studies10
- 2024. Genome Assembly and Structural Variation Analysis of Luffa acutangula Provide Insights on Flowering Time and Ridge DevelopmentPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38999668 · doi:10.3390/plants13131828
- 2023. In silico analysis of peroxidase from Luffa acutangula3 Biotech. PMID 36575654 · doi:10.1007/s13205-022-03432-8
- 2023. Inheritance and molecular mapping of solitary/cluster fruit-bearing habit in LuffaMolecular genetics and genomics : MGG. PMID 37231151 · doi:10.1007/s00438-023-02034-0
- 2022. Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses of Cucurbitacin Biosynthesis in Luffa (Luffa acutangula)Frontiers in plant science. PMID 35747880 · doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.886870
- 2022. A SNP of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) enhances an aroma (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline) in sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) and ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula)Scientific reports. PMID 35260602 · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-07478-9
- 2021. De novo assemblies of Luffa acutangula and Luffa cylindrica genomes reveal an expansion associated with substantial accumulation of transposable elementsMolecular ecology resources. PMID 32841550 · doi:10.1111/1755-0998.13240
- 2021. Green Biosynthesis, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Anticancer Activities of Silver Nanoparticles of Luffa acutangula Leaf ExtractBioMed research international. PMID 34631882 · doi:10.1155/2021/5125681
- 2020. Chloroplast genome data of Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca and their phylogenetic relationshipsData in brief. PMID 33195780 · doi:10.1016/j.dib.2020.106470
- 2020. The complete mitochondrial genome of Luffa acutangulaMitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources. PMID 33458114 · doi:10.1080/23802359.2020.1810165
- 2019. The establishment of the species-delimits and varietal-identities of the cultivated germplasm of Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca in Sri Lanka using morphometric, organoleptic and phylogenetic approachesPloS one. PMID 30964918 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215176
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
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.
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