Abstract

A REVIEW ON BENINCASA HISPIDA, AN ETHNOMEDICINALLY IMPORTANT HERB

Nisha N., P. M. Charan, Nikhil D. and Prerna Goel*

ABSTRACT

Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) is a widely distributed monoecious climber belonging to family Cucurbitaceae. It is native to Asia with wide therapeutic uses mentioned in traditional system specially Ayurveda and Chinese medicine to treat neurological diseases, kidney disease, fever, and cough. Its fruit has high nutritional values providing good source of natural sugars, amino acids, organic acids, mineral elements and vitamins. However, its other parts include, leaf, stem and peels are equally medicinally important. It has proven pharmacological activities that include positive effect on central nervous effects such as, antidepressant, Alzheimer's disease powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, nephroprotective, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and anti-ageing. The updated review is aimed at framing the ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, pharmacological properties in one draft to evaluate the therapeutic potential of this ethnomedicinally important climber species.

Keywords: Benincasa hispida, Ayurveda, Kushamanda, pharmacological profile.