Effects of squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium) fruit.
The human serious adverse reactions of the folkloric plant, Ecballium elaterium (EE), are well documented in the lit- erature. This report is presenting the medical literature of 74 cases, which experienced severe adverse reactions or deaths that resulted from the administration of the plant juice.
E. elaterium (Ecballium elaterium) is a plant endemic to the Mediterranean basin. Its roots and cucumber-shaped fruits have been used in folk medicine since antiquity. The alleged uses of the fruit juice are as a potent cathartic, analgesic and antiinflammatory agent. Cucurbitacin B, a triterpene derivative, is the active antiinflammatory principal.
Objective. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Ecballium elaterium (E. elaterium) fruits alone against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains and Candida albicans (C. albicans) strains, or in combination with penicillin against Staphylococcus areus strains.
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Squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), is an indigenous species of the south of Europe and the Mediterranean basin, sometimes cultivated for its use as a medicinal plant. This study compared phenolic contents in Ecballium elaterium organs and their antimicrobial activities against some foodborne pathogens.
Functional use(s) - cosmetic ingredient for skin conditioning. PubMed:Cholestatic hepatitis due to Ecballium elaterium ingestion. PubMed:Keratoconjunctivitis and Periorbital Edema due to Ecballium elaterium. PubMed:Cytotoxic effect of freeze-dried extract of Ecballium elaterium fruit on gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (KYSE30) cell lines.