Trichosanthes Peel
Trichosanthes kirilowii
Gua lou pi, the dried fruit peel of the snake gourd plant, used in Chinese medicine for about 2,000 years for heart conditions such as angina and for cough with phlegm.
What is Trichosanthes Peel?
- Plant family
- Cucurbitaceae, the gourd and cucumber family
- Parts used
- The dried ripe peel (pericarp) of the fruit
- Genus
- Trichosanthes
- Species
- kirilowii
Also called
Trichosanthis Pericarpium, Trichosanthes Fruit Peel, Pericarpium Trichosanthis
Traditional names
Gua Lou Pi, Gualoupi
Traditionally used for
- Angina and heart disease (traditional)
- Cough with phlegm (traditional)
Traditionally described as
- Protected heart cells (in lab studies)
Health topics
Where Trichosanthes Peel appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.
- Cough
Used in Chinese formulas for cough with phlegm from "lung heat". Not tested on its own in trials.
Traditions that use it
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Called gua lou pi; used for about 2,000 years for heart and blood-vessel diseases such as angina, and for cough with "lung heat" and phlegm.
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Gua lou pi is the dried ripe peel of the fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii or a close relative, the same plant whose root is used as snake gourd root (see that page). It has been used for about 2,000 years for heart and blood-vessel diseases, and is used in China for coronary heart disease, angina and heart attack, including as an injection.[1]
Paired with the root, it's part of the Qing Dynasty formula Bei Mu Gua Lou San, used for cough from "lung heat" with phlegm.[2]
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In lab studies, a water extract of the peel protected heart cells from damage caused by loss and return of oxygen.[1]
In rats with a COPD-like lung disease, the peel–root pair reduced lung damage.[2]
Studies of the whole fruit (gua lou) found it protected against reduced blood flow to the heart, reduced blood clotting, helped clear phlegm and may help reduce inflammation.[3]
Sources
- [1] Trichosanthis Pericarpium Aqueous Extract Protects H9c2 Cardiomyocytes from Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury by Regulating PI3K/Akt/NO Pathway · DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102409Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Investigating the Trichosanthis Pericarpium - Trichosanthis Radix herbal pair's role in alleviating COPD through gut microbiota · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330621Peer-reviewed study
- [3] Trichosanthis Fructus: botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology · DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.05.034Peer-reviewed study
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.