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.