The silk melon vascular bundle is a dried mature fruit of the gourd plant. It is harvested when the fruit is mature in summer and autumn, the fruit skin turns yellow, the inside is dried up, the outer skin and pulp are removed, washed, dried, and the seeds are removed.

Identification of characters

The appearance of silk melon vascular bundle is formed by interlacing silk-like vascular bundles, mostly long prismatic or long cylindrical, slightly curved, 30-70cm long, 7-10cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish-white, light in weight, tough in texture, elastic, and cannot be broken. The transverse section shows 3 chambers of the ovary, which are hollow. It has a weak smell and a mild taste.

The problem of counterfeit and adulterated silk melon vascular bundle

In the market, there are some counterfeit and adulterated silk melon vascular bundles. Among them, Guangdong silk melon vascular bundle is made from the dried old fruit of angular silk melon after the seeds are removed. It is long and cylindrical, slightly curved, and the fruit stem is slender and often twisted. The surface is yellowish-brown or grayish-yellow, with 10 obvious longitudinal ridges. The outer fruit skin is thin and brittle, and the middle fruit skin is woven into a network-like structure of fine and dense gray-white fibers, which is tough and cannot be broken.

In addition, some unscrupulous vendors will add impurities such as mud and sand to increase the weight of the silk gourd. Therefore, when purchasing silk gourd, pay attention to its quality. Grabbing a handful of silk gourd will feel rough.

Chemical composition of silk gourd

Silk gourd contains hemicellulose and cellulose, as well as glucomannan, galactan, and lignin.

Pharmacological effects of silk gourd

Silk gourd has various pharmacological effects:

1. Analgesic and sedative effects

The decoction of silk gourd has a significant analgesic effect on pain caused by chemical, electrical, and thermal stimulation, with a similar analgesic intensity to butylphthalide. The decoction of silk gourd can significantly reduce spontaneous activity in mice and has good synergistic effect with sub-hypnotic doses of pentobarbital.

2. Anti-inflammatory effect

The decoction of silk gourd can significantly reduce the degree of foot pad swelling caused by carrageenan in rats and has a certain anti-inflammatory effect on cotton ball granuloma.

3. Effects on the liver

The betulinic acid contained in silk gourd can treat acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats. It can alleviate the vacuolation, loosening, necrosis, and lobular reaction of liver cells.

4. Other effects

Cucurbit vine extract has inhibitory immunohemolysis effect in vitro. Cucurbit extract also has a strong anti-Japanese encephalitis virus effect, but no direct inactivation effect.

The taste, meridians, functions, and indications of cucumber vine

The taste of cucumber vine is sweet and the nature is mild. It belongs to the lung, stomach, and liver meridians.

Cucumber vine has the functions of dispelling wind, promoting meridian circulation, activating blood circulation, and promoting milk flow. It is mainly used for symptoms such as rheumatic pain and spasm, chest and rib pain, unobstructed milk flow, and mastitis swelling and pain.