''Ecballium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cucurbitaceae containing a single species, ''Ecballium elaterium'', also called the squirting cucumber or exploding cucumber (not the same plant as '' Cyclanthera brachystachya''). Its unusual common name derives from the ripe fruit squirting a stream of mucilaginous liquid containing its

seeds A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm pl ...

as a means of seed dispersal, an example of

rapid plant movement Rapid plant movement encompasses plant movements, movement in plant structures occurring over a very short period, usually under one second. For example, the Venus flytrap closes its trap in about 100 milliseconds. The traps of Utricularia are muc ...

Distribution

''E. elaterium'' is native to Europe, northern Africa, and temperate areas of Asia, and is considered an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

. It is grown as an ornamental plant elsewhere, and in some places it has

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

Seed dispersal

The tissue in the fruit of the ''Ecballium elaterium'' that surrounds the seeds is thin walled, facilitating the propulsive release of seeds by "squirting". Pressure to expel the seeds is created by the increased concentration of

glucoside A glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes. The name was o ...

and elaterinidin in low volumes of cytoplasm, leading to an

osmotic pressure Osmotic pressure is the minimum pressure which needs to be applied to a solution to prevent the inward flow of its pure solvent across a semipermeable membrane. It is also defined as the measure of the tendency of a solution to take in a pure ...

of up to 27 atms. The pressure-building method may depend on the Phloem sieve tubes, indicating that the squirting mechanism can be decreased in water stressed conditions. The fruit also uses hygroscopic movement and stored

elastic energy Elastic energy is the mechanical potential energy stored in the configuration of a material or physical system as it is subjected to elastic deformation by work performed upon it. Elastic energy occurs when objects are impermanently compressed, ...

to squirt the seeds out of the fruit. This method is done passively where the fruit changes its structure as it dehydrates and deteriorates, causing movement. This movement may be due to coiling, bending, or twisting cells to change its morphological shape as the cells dry. Because drying cells are mostly made up of cell wall, the shape is determined by the cell wall, providing a method for

catapult A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...

ing of seeds to eject them out of the plant. Sudden movements in plant tissues are prone to different types of mechanical instabilities. In the case of ''E. elaterium,'' due to the relationship between the duration of movement and the size of the tissue, the plant tissue fractures. Effectiveness of the dispersal seems to be low as a study found that even though the ''E. elaterium'' could have sprayed its seed to the whole plot, the size and location of the infested areas remained relatively similar.

History in folk medicine

''Elaterium'' is the cucurbitacin extract used in ancient history as a purgative in folk medicine. Extracted from the juice of the fruit of ''E. elaterium'', elaterium was discovered by Stirling in 1835. ''Elaterin'' is extracted from elaterium by

chloroform Chloroform, or trichloromethane, is an organic compound with chemical formula, formula Carbon, CHydrogen, HChlorine, Cl3 and a common organic solvent. It is a colorless, strong-smelling, dense liquid produced on a large scale as a precursor to ...

and then precipitated by ether. It has the formula C₃₂H₄₄O₇. It forms colorless scales which have a bitter taste, with evidence as a

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

when consumed through the nose or mouth. The ''British pharmacopeia'' contained a preparation, the ''Pulvis Elaterini Compositus''. According to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition, " e action of this extract resembles that of the

saline Saline may refer to: * Saline (medicine), a liquid with salt content to match the human body * Saline water, non-medicinal salt water * Saline, a historical term (especially US) for a salt works or saltern Places * Saline, Calvados, a commune in ...

aperients, but is much more powerful. It is the most active hydragogue purgative known, 'causing also much depression and violent griping'. When injected subcutaneously, it is inert, as its action is entirely dependent upon its admixture with the

bile Bile (from Latin ''bilis''), or gall, is a dark-green-to-yellowish-brown fluid produced by the liver of most vertebrates that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In humans, bile is produced continuously by the liver (liver bile ...

. The drug is undoubtedly valuable in cases of dropsy and Bright's disease, and also in cases of

cerebral haemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

, threatened or present. It must not be used except in urgent cases, and must invariably be employed with the utmost care, especially if the state of the heart be unsatisfactory." In the 21st century, elaterium and its constituents are considered a poison, with several

case report In medicine, a case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports may contain a demographic profile of the patient, but usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence ...

s of hospitalization,

edema Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's Tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels t ...

of the

uvula The palatine uvula, usually referred to as simply the uvula, is a conic projection from the back edge of the middle of the soft palate, composed of connective tissue containing a number of racemose glands, and some muscular fibers. It also conta ...

, and

necrosis Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dige ...

of the nasal mucosa resulting from nasal or oral consumption.

References

External links

Comprehensive profile for ''Ecballium elaterium''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q3018301, from2=Q157877 Cucurbitoideae Abortifacients Monotypic Cucurbitaceae genera Laxatives