Bencao Gangmu Reference Library
棱角丝瓜 / 粤丝瓜 / 八角瓜 / 胜瓜 / 棱丝瓜 — Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. (syn. Cucumis acutangulus)
Pinyin: Léngjiǎo Sīguā / Yuè Sīguā / Shèngguā · Malay: Petola Segi / Petola Basi / Oyong · Family: Cucurbitaceae (葫芦科)
Energetics
Cool to Cold (微寒 / 凉)
Flavor
Sweet, bland, crisp-succulent, slightly bitter when aged (甘、淡、微苦)
Meridians
Lung (肺), Stomach (胃), Liver (肝)
Traditional Edict
Ridge Gourd (Petola Segi / Sheng Gua). 10-ribbed club-shaped gourd. Sovereign cooling culinary medicine. Clears lung and stomach heat, transforms yellow phlegm, moderates diabetic thirst and lowers blood sugar, cools blood, unblocks milk.
Cautions & Contraindications
- Always peel away the 10 sharp fibrous ridges before cooking. High clinical and dietary safety. Contraindicated in cold deficiency watery diarrhea without heat signs.
Clinical Applications
- Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (insulin sensitization, GLUT4 translocation, a-glucosidase inhibition), acute suppurative bronchitis with yellow sputum, tonsillitis, NAFLD, and postpartum hypogalactia.
Quality Markers
Mechanism & Phytochemistry
1. Charantin peptides and acutangulosides stimulate AMPK phosphorylation, driving skeletal muscle GLUT4 translocation to lower blood glucose while blunting a-glucosidase. 2. Mucilage polysaccharides liquefy purulent phlegm. 3. Cucurbitacin B downregulates NF-kB.
Preparation & Dosage
THE SOVEREIGN GLYCEMIC MODERATION SOUP (Sup Petola Segi / 胜瓜清热降糖汤): 200 g fresh ridge gourd (peel 10 sharp outer ridges) simmered with Polygonatum odoratum (Yu Zhu), Shan Yao, and tofu for 20 min. Fresh raw juice for thirst: 100 mL.
Appended Prescriptions
- 1. The Sovereign Nanyang Glycemic Harmony Broth with Momordica charantia (Peria Katak) and Cornsilk. 2. Lung-Clearing Phlegm-Resolving Soup with Siraitia grosvenorii (Luo Han Guo).
Yemama Apothecary · Petaling Jaya, Malaysia · For educational and clinical reference only