Etymology
Trichosanthes quinquangulata derives from the Greek words 'trichos' meaning hairy and 'anthos' meaning flowers. Quinquangulata means "five-angled" referring to the 5-pointed lobes of the leaves. (4)

Botany
Patolang-gubat is a coarse, smooth vine with angled or grooved stems. Leaves are somewhat rounded in outline, 10 to 20 centimeters long, heart-shaped at the base, 5- or 7-angled or lobed. Male racemes have long peduncles with many flowers, with large bracts, one or two are open at a time. Flowers are white and large. Calyx-lobes are 2 to 2.5 centimeters long and irregularly toothed. Fruit is rounded, 10 centimeters across, smooth, red or crimson.

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Found in thickets and old clearings, at low and medium ascending to 1,500 meters, in the Babuyan Islands; in Cagayan, Benguet, Bontoc, Nueva Viscaya, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal and Laguna Provinces in Luzon; in Masbate, Panay, Mangsi, and in Mindanao.
- Widely distributed from Indo-China throughout Malaysia.
- Also native to Andaman Is., Borneo, Cambodia, China, Java, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, New Guinea, Samoa, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. (6)

Constituents
• Seed yields trichosanthin, a ribosome-inhibiting protein and trichomislin, which induces apoptosis. source

Properties
• Considered febrifuge.
• Seeds considered abortifacient.

Parts used
Seeds, fruits.

Uses
Folkloric
• Mature seeds are finely powdered and cooked with coconut oil and applied externally to itchy skin lesions.
• Powdered seeds mixed with wine and drank for stomach aches.
• The Mangyans of Mindoro squeeze the ripe fruits in water and drunk as tea for fever and malaria. (3)
• Seeds reportedly used as abortifacient.

Studies
• Trichosanthin / Trichomislin: Trichosanthin is a ribosome-inactivating protein from the root tuber of Chinese medicinal herb, Trichosanthes kirilowi Maxim. Its various pharmacological attributions included anti-HIV, anti-tumor, and abortifacient properties. Trichomislin has been shown to induce apoptosis. (4) (5) (This study and many others are attributed to T. kirilowi. I have yet to find studies done on T. quinquangulata. G.Stuart)

Availability
- Wildcrafted

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Species Diversity of Trichosanthes in Gunung Halimun National Park / Rugayah /
Edisi Khusus 'B:'odh/ersitas -Tamar: Nasional Gunung Halimun” Berita Biologi, Volume 5, Nomor 6, Desember 2001
(2)
Sorting Trichosanthes names / /Maintained by: Michel H. Porcher / MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE / Copyright © 1995 - 2020 / A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The University of Melbourne. Australia.
(3)
Ethnopharmacologic Documentation of Selected Philippine Ethnolinguistic Groups: The Mangyan (Tadyawan) People of Mindoro Island / Prof Rosario R Rubite, Dr Isidro C Sia, Leonardo Co, Larry Ylagan / 2002
(4)
Trichosanthes quinquangulata / Cristopher Wiart / Medicinal Plants of the Pacific
(5)
Recent advances in trichosanthin, a ribosome-inactivating protein with multiple pharmacological properties. / Shaw PC, Lee KM, Wong KB / Toxicon, 2005 May;45(6):683-9.
(6)
Trichosanthes quinquangulata A. Grau / Plants of the World Online
(7)
Trichosanthes quinquangulata (Cucurbitaceae) - A new record for India from Andaman Islands / L Rasingam / Rheedea, 2012; 22(1): pp 9-10

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