Abstract

Sponge-gourds, the fruit of Luffa cylindrica, are widely used throughout the world. It is an annual climbing crop which produces fruit containing fibrous vascular system. It is a summer season vegetable. At the moment, from the results of studies carried out on this wonder crop, it encourages the commercial cultivation of the crop because of its increasing economic importance. The objective of this review is to show the potentialities of this crop that is virtually found around the globe. Areas such as agriculture, medicine, science, engineering and biotechnology will be discussed. Recent major advances and discoveries will be considered.

Key words: Luffa cylindrica, cultivation, crop, commercial, agriculture.