Trichosanthes Kirilowii Seed Source & Identity
The botanical entity is Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim., a climbing gourd vine of the Cucurbitaceae family. The part used is the seed, which is flat and oval and sits inside the large ripe fruit. Fruit pulp, root and leaves are not included in this Trichosanthes kirilowii seed extract. The seed is rich in unsaturated fatty oil, with a conjugated triene acid reported among its fatty acids, and it also carries protein, sterols and triterpenoids. A water extraction leaves most of the oil behind, so the dried powder is a water-soluble remainder and not an oil-bearing meal. The root is a separate material that is not offered, and the fruit extract is a sibling product.
Quotes should state “Trichosanthes kirilowii seed” and not only Trichosanthes kirilowii, because the fruit and root are different materials. The oil-rich seed is also the reason the Trichosanthes kirilowii extract is prone to a slight film in water.












