• Dr Anju Balakrishnan
• Dr Mohammed Faisal

Rajakoshataki or Luffa acutangula (L). Roxb. generally known as Ridge gourd belongs to cucurbitaceae family. It is a common vegetable crop used widely for its culinary and therapeutic purpose. It is cultivated all over India and is commercially used for its unripe fruits as vegetable. Matured fruits are used as natural cleaning sponges. It resembles a cucumber with ridges. The fruits of the plant are widely used by many folklore practitioners in the form of food and medicine in cases like hyperuricemia. Drug posses Madhura rasa, Snigdha guna, Sheetha virya and has anilahara and rakthapittahara action. It is mentioned in classics under Shaka varga, Aushadi varga and so on. It is widely used in case of jaundice, diabetes, haemorrhoids, dysentery and headache. Fruit is said to have diuretic action and the seeds has puragative, emetic and anthelmintic properties. Here is an attempt to know more about the drug, its therapeutic efficacies mentioned in classics.

Rajakoshataki, Shaka varga, Aushadi varga, Haemorrhoids, Diuretic, Purgative, Emetic, Anthelmintic

" RAJAKOSHATAKI(LUFFA ACUTANGULA (L). ROXB.) AN UNDERRATED DRUG", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 1, page no.e585-e590, January-2022, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2201480.pdf

" RAJAKOSHATAKI(LUFFA ACUTANGULA (L). ROXB.) AN UNDERRATED DRUG", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 1, page no. ppe585-e590, January-2022, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2201480.pdf