Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

Habitat ◮ Cultivated throughout
India.
English ◮ Red Gourd, Red Pumpkin.
Ayurvedic ◮ Peeta Kuushmaanda,
Kuushmaandaka, Kuusmaandi,
Karkaaruka, Seetaaphal.
Unani ◮ Kaddu-e-Sheerin, Aqteen.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Parangikayi.
Action ◮ Fruit pulp—sedative,
emollient and refrigerant; used
as poultice, applied to burns,
inflammations, boils, and burns.
Seeds—diuretic, anthelmintic (for
tapeworm). Because of their zinc
content and antimitotic effect, seeds
are used to arrest enlargement of
prostate gland. Also used in cystitis
and minor kidney dyfunction.
Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima and C.
pepo) seeds contain B vitamins, Vitamin
A; minerals—calcium, iron, phosphorus,
zinc; cucurbitacins; linonelic
acid. An infusion of seeds (2–3 teaspoons)
is taken as a diuretic and in
hypertrophy of prostate.
Seeds of C. maxima contain sterol
glycosides and sterol fatty acid esters
which showed antitumour activity in
mice.
The leaves contain calcium 36.38;
magnesium 38.80; iron 2.04; zinc 0.76;
and copper 0.42 (mg/100 g).
The seed oil contains sterols and triterpenoids.
The oil is used in migraine
and neuralgia.
Cucurbita moschata
Duch. ex Poir.
Family ◮ Cucurbitaceae.
Cucurbita pepo Linn. 183
Habitat ◮ Native to Central America.
Cultivated in warmer climate than
that required for C. maxima.
English ◮ Squash.
Ayurvedic ◮ Kumshmaanda.
Action ◮ Fruit—used in headache,
bronchitis, asthma; as diuretic
in genitourinary disorders; as
anthelmintic against tapeworms.
Dried pulp is administered in
haemptysis.
The lipids isolated from the seeds
included glycerides, sterol esters, phosphatidylcholine
and phosphatidylinositol.
The aqueous extract of seeds
showed potent gastroprotective activity
against ethanol-induced gastric lesions
in rats.
In Chinese medicine, Cucurbita moschata
flowerisusedinjaundice, dysentery
and cough; the root in jaundice,
strangury, galactostasis and dysentery;
the stem in irregular menstruation and
scalds.
Cucurbita pepo Linn.
Family ◮ Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to N. Mexico and
eastern U.S.A. Now commonly
cultivated in Northern India.
English ◮ Pumpkin, Marrow.
Unani ◮ Safed Kaddu, Kumhraa.
Siddha ◮ Suraikayi (Tamil).
Action ◮ See C. maxima.
Key application ◮ Seeds—in irritated
bladder condition, micturition
problems of benign prostatic
C