Photo: Leslie Seaton / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Patol पटोल
Trichosanthes cucumerina
Also known as: Patol Patra
Part used: Leaf
| Rasa (taste) | Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent) |
|---|---|
| Guna (qualities) | Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry) |
| Virya (potency) | Ushna (Hot) |
| Vipaka | Katu (Pungent) |
| Dosha | Balances Kapha & Vata |
| Prabhava | Classical systemic action |
Key takeaways
- Botanical name: Trichosanthes cucumerina
- Part used: Leaf
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Leaf decoction 40–80 ml twice daily; dried leaf powder 3–5 g per day.
Patol in other languages
Introduction
Patol (Trichosanthes cucumerina) is the wild snake gourd, a slender climber whose bitter leaf and fruit are used as medicine rather than as food. Classical texts count it among the most reliable of the bitter cleansing drugs.
It is a Pitta-clearing, blood-cleansing herb, used in fevers, skin disease and sluggish liver function, and it is one of the few bitters that is also described as appetising rather than merely purgative.
Classification
Family Cucurbitaceae. Leaf and fruit are officinal. Rasa: Tikta. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Ushna. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Kapha and Pitta.
Uses & benefits
Given in Jwara, particularly fevers that will not clear, in Kushtha (chronic skin disease), and where the liver is sluggish and the appetite poor. The leaf decoction is the usual form. It is a standard ingredient of Patolakaturohinyadi kashaya and appears in Mahamanjishthadi Kwath for the skin.
Patol for the skin and blood
Its bitterness is directed at Rakta and Pitta, which is why it appears in the large blood-purifying decoctions used for chronic skin complaints.
Patol in lingering fever
Classical texts place Patol among the drugs for fevers that persist, where the bitter principle both reduces the fever and restores the appetite it has destroyed.
Dosage — how much to take
Leaf decoction 40–80 ml twice daily; dried leaf powder 3–5 g per day. Commonly used within a compound decoction rather than singly.
Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm with a qualified Vaidya.
Traditional uses — questions answered from the classical texts
Answers are drawn from the citations and properties recorded for this drug. No chapter-and-verse reference appears that the record does not carry.
Which classical texts describe Patol?
The citations held for Patol in this catalogue are: Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana 4 — Tiktaskandha); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Patola).
What does the Charaka Samhita record about Patol?
Grouped with the bitter drugs used in fever and skin disease. Reference: Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Tiktaskandha.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Patol?
Tikta rasa; indicated in jwara, kushtha and aruchi. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Patola.
What is Patol traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in Jwara, particularly fevers that will not clear, in Kushtha (chronic skin disease), and where the liver is sluggish and the appetite poor. The leaf decoction is the usual form. It is a standard ingredient of Patolakaturohinyadi kashaya and appears in Mahamanjishthadi Kwath for the skin.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Patol?
Rasa Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent), Guna Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Virya Ushna (Hot), Vipaka Katu (Pungent). Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata. Prabhava: Classical systemic action.
Why is Patol classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Patol carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Patol is used medicinally?
The part used is Leaf.
How much Patol is taken, and how?
Leaf decoction 40–80 ml twice daily; dried leaf powder 3–5 g per day. Commonly used within a compound decoction rather than singly. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Patol be avoided?
Bitter and drying; long or heavy use may aggravate Vata. Avoid in pregnancy. The wild bitter species is the medicinal one — the cultivated edible snake gourd is a different, milder plant.
Where does Patol grow?
A wild climber of hedges, field margins and open scrub through the plains of India, common in the monsoon and dying back in the dry season.
Classical references
- Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Tiktaskandha
Grouped with the bitter drugs used in fever and skin disease. - Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Patola
Tikta rasa; indicated in jwara, kushtha and aruchi.
Safety & precautions
Bitter and drying; long or heavy use may aggravate Vata. Avoid in pregnancy. The wild bitter species is the medicinal one — the cultivated edible snake gourd is a different, milder plant.
Where it grows
A wild climber of hedges, field margins and open scrub through the plains of India, common in the monsoon and dying back in the dry season.
Frequently asked questions
Is Patol the vegetable snake gourd?
Not the one usually eaten. The medicinal drug is the wild, markedly bitter Trichosanthes; the mild cultivated gourd is a different plant and is used as food rather than medicine.
Which part is used?
Mainly the leaf, prepared as a decoction. The fruit is used in some preparations.
