Bottle gourd belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and commonly known as Lauki in Hindi.
The fruit is considered a remedy for diabetes, heart disease, hypertriglyceridaemia, constipation, liver disease, urinary tract disease, depression, etc.
The plant produces cucurbitacin which is a bitter compound that acts as a defence mechanism against insects and other herbivores.
Cucurbitacin at higher levels leads to vomiting, loose motions, hematemesis, capillary leak which in turn reduces blood pressure, causes ascites and pleural effusion, comma and death.
Cooking the fruit (without the skin and seeds) however denatures all the cucurbitacin and the cooked preparation has no reported side effects.
