Abstract

REVIEW ON CUCUMIS MELO: ETHNOBOTANY AND UNANI MEDICINE

*Nazeem Fahamiya, Mohd Aslam, Aisha Siddiqui and Mohamed Shiffa

ABSTRACT

Cucumis melo which is commonly known as musk melon belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae and it is known as kharbuzah in Unani medicine. It is an annual climbing or creeping herb with angular, scabrous stem, simple soft hairy orbicular-reniform leaves and bears tendrils, by which it is readily trained over trellises. The aim of this review is to explore information available in Unani medicine and ethnobotanical literatures. Musk melons are extensively cultivated throughout India particularly in the hot and dry North-Western areas. Propagation is done by seeds and vegetative method. Main parts used are pulp, root, seeds and seed oil. It is having diuretic, emmenagogue, cooling, demulcent, aphrodisiac, galactagogue and astringent properties. Fruit has been used for several centuries to treat kidney disorders such as kidney and bladder stones, painful and burning micturition, ulcers in the urinary tract, suppression of urine and to treat cough, bilious diseases, hot inflammation of the liver, liver and bile obstruction, eczema, etc. The oil from seeds is said to be very nourishing and contains linoleic acid (60-70%), lecithin, cephalin and cerebroside isolated from seed oil. The seeds of melon contain multiflorenol, isomultiflorenol, 24-methylenecycloartenol, α- and β-amyrin, teraxerol, lupeol, euphol, 24-methyl-25(27)-dehydrocycloartanol, 24-methylene-24-dihydrolanosterol, 24-methylene-24-dihydroparkeol, tirucallol and cycloartenol. Its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, thyroid stimulatory, anthelmintic¸ nephroprotective and cytotoxic activity have been proved by research studies.

Keywords: Cucumis melo, Musk melon, nephroprotective, Unani.