The Eden Institute Biblical Herbalism Education

Eden Apothecary · Herb Profile

Snake Gourd

Trichosanthes kirilowii

Also known as Trichosanthes, Gua Lou

Pronounced Gua Lou: GWAH-loh (snake gourd). Trichosanthes kirilowii: trik-oh-SAN-theez kir-ih-LOH-ee-eye.

Cold, moist, and slippery: the phlegm-heat solvent that unbinds a tight, congested chest and lubricates a hot, dry gut.

At a glance

Botanical name
Trichosanthes kirilowii
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Part used
Ripe fruit (whole; Quan Gua Lou, Fructus Trichosanthis) and seed (Gua Lou Ren, Semen Trichosanthis). The fruit peel (Gua Lou Pi) and root (Tian Hua Fen, Radix Trichosanthis) are distinct drugs with their own actions.
Taste
Sweet, slightly Bitter
Temperature
Cold
Moisture
Moist

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Contraindicated. The plant is a documented abortifacient (root-derived trichosanthin acts on placental trophoblast cells) and the fruit and seed are traditionally avoided in pregnancy; oral fruit/seed are also reported as potentially abortive or harmful to the fetus. Avoid entirely. (WebMD Chinese Cucumber monograph; Bensky, Clavey & Stoger, Materia Medica.)

While breastfeeding

Insufficient reliable data; avoid. No adequate human lactation safety information exists for the fruit, seed, or root. (WebMD Chinese Cucumber monograph.)

For children

No pediatric-specific published safety data. The cold, purgative, slippery nature is unsuitable for children with cold or weak digestion; guidance is derived from general energetic principles. Use only for acute phlegm-heat under qualified practitioner supervision.

Cautions

Cold and slippery. Can provoke loose stools, diarrhea, nausea, or poor appetite in those with weak or cold digestion, especially the oil-rich seed. Not for cold-phlegm, damp-cold, or Spleen/Stomach cold. Do not confuse the food-grade fruit and seed with injectable root-derived trichosanthin (GLQ223 / Compound Q), a toxic ribosome-inactivating protein used only in supervised research settings.

General contraindications

Pregnancy (abortifacient potential of the plant). Spleen/Stomach yang deficiency with chronic loose stools or diarrhea. Cold-phlegm and damp-cold patterns. Classical incompatibility with Aconite (Wu Tou/Fu Zi) under the Eighteen Antagonisms. Known Cucurbitaceae (gourd/melon) allergy.

Stewardship

Widely and commercially cultivated across China and East Asia for the fruit, seed, and root (Tian Hua Fen). Not wild-at-risk and not listed by United Plant Savers. Prefer cultivated, correctly identified material (T. kirilowii or the accepted T. rosthornii) from reputable suppliers.

In the traditional record

Not in canonical biblical texts. Native to China and East Asia; first recorded in the Han-dynasty Shennong Ben Cao Jing and codified for chest painful obstruction (an angina analogue) in Zhang Zhongjing's Jin Gui Yao Lue (c. 200 CE).

Which herbs suit your body?

The same herb can calm one person and wire another. Our free assessment reads your pattern across temperature, moisture and tone, then matches herbs to it.

Take the free assessment Open Trichosanthes / Snake Gourd (Gua Lou) in the Apothecary

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