REVIEW ON THE BIOACTIVE PHYTOCONSTITUENTS OF LUFFA CYLINDRICA AND THEIR MECHANISTIC ROLE IN PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

A medicinal plant of considerable ethnopharmacological significance, Luffa cylindrica (Family: Cucurbitaceae), also referred to as vegetable sponge or sponge gourd, has long been utilized for its therapeutic properties in a variety of cultures. A thorough summary of the bioactive phytoconstituents that were separated from Luffa cylindrica and their molecular functions in various pharmacological activities is what this review attempts to provide. Numerous secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, phenolics, and terpenoids, are abundant in the plant and have been demonstrated to possess strong antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective qualities.