Botanical Name
Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Synonyms
Benincasa hispida var.chieh-qua F.C.How, Benincasa hispida var.hispida.
Regional Name
English : White guard melon, Hindi :Kushmand, Petha, Sanskrit :Puspaphalam, Brihatphalam, Urdu :Petha, Punjabi :Petha,Assamese :Kumra, Bengali :ChalKumra, Gujrati : Safed Kohalu, Bhuru, Kohalu, BhuruKolu, Kannada :BoodiHumbala, Malayalam :Kumbalanga, Marathi :Kohala, Oriya :Kakharu, Panikakharu, Tamil :Pooshanikkai, Telugu :Boodida Gummadi.
Part Used
Seeds.
Description
This species is probably a native of Japan and Java. It is now widely cultivated in tropical Asia. Kushmand is an extensive trailing or climbing herb cultivated as a vegetable throughout the plains of India up to an altitude of 1200 m. Drug occurs in deformed, compressed, cut pieces of various sizes; epicarp cream coloured with light yellowish to brownish mesocarp; taste, slightly acidic.
Phytoconstituents
Main chemical constituents of Kushmand is Fatty Oil. It contains Amino acids, mucins, mineral salts, vitamins B and C, fixed oil, 44%; starch, 32%; an alkaline, cucurbitine; an acid resin, myosin, vitellin and sugar 4%.
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa :Madhura, Amla, Guna :Laghu, Virya :Sita, Vipaka :Madhura, Karma :Balya, Dipana, Hrdya, Vrsya, Bastisodhaka, Mehana, Tridosahara, Jirnanga Pusti Prada, Bastisodhaka, Sramsana, Arocakahara,Vatapittajit.
Ayurvedic Applications
Mutraghata, Mutrakrcchra, Prameha, Trsna, Asmari, Manasa, Vikara, Malabandha.
Medicinal Uses
It is used in epilepsy, lung diseases, diabetics, obesity, sexual disease, asthma, cough, urinary dysfunction, urine retention and internal hemorrhage. It is also used for tapeworms, bleeding disorders, menorrhagia, improves strength and immunity, peptic ulcers, relieving acidity, constipation and tones the gastrointestinal tract.