Zehneria scabra explained

Zehneria scabra is a perennial climbing or trailing herb that belong to the family Cucurbitaceae.^[1]

Morphology

The herb can climb up to 10m (30feet) long. The older parts of the stems are woody with corky-ridged bark.^[2] Its leaves are triangular to ovate in shape, cordate at the base, deep green, and scabrid punctate above. The fruit is oval shaped and bright red.^[3]

Distribution

The plant is widely distributed in Tropical Africa, and present in Madagascar, India, and in Java, Indonesia.

Uses

In Ethiopia, the herb is known locally as 'hareg ressa' where its fruits and leaves are crushed and oil extracted used to treat scabies. Extracts from the herb are traditionally used to treat diarrhea, alopecia, wound and eczema.^[4] Oil extracts are also used to treat skin related infections among the Pare of Tanzania.

Notes and References

1. Abew. Bereket. Sahile. Samuel. Moges. Feleke. October 2014. In vitro antibacterial activity of leaf extracts of Zehneria scabra and Ricinus communis against Escherichia coli and methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. en. 4. 10. 816–820. 10.12980/APJTB.4.201414B16. free.
2. Studies on Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used for Dermatological Disorders in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University. February 2004. Thesis. en. Bruck. Messele.
3. Web site: Zehneria scabra (L.f.) Sond. Plants of the World Online Kew Science. 2021-06-26. Plants of the World Online. en.
4. Tadesse. Wondmagegn Tamiru. Hailu. Abebe Ejigu. Gurmu. Abyot Endale. Mechesso. Abraham Fikru. December 2014. Experimental assessment of antidiarrheal and antisecretory activity of 80% methanolic leaf extract of Zehneria scabra in mice. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. en. 14. 1. 460. 10.1186/1472-6882-14-460. 1472-6882. 4265498. 25465058 . free .