Cucurbita maxima Health Dictionary

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Cucurbita Maxima: From 1 Different Sources

Duchesne.

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 tri- terpenoids. The oil is used in migraine and neuralgia.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Citrus Maxima

(Burm.) Merrill.

Synonym: C. decumana Watt. C. grandis (L.) Osbeck

Family: Rutaceae.

Habitat: North-eastern region up to 1,500 m in Assam and Tripura.

English: Pummelo, Shaddock.

Ayurvedic: Madhukarkatikaa.

Unani: Chakotra.

Siddha/Tamil: Pambalimasu.

Folk: Mahaa-nibu, Sadaaphal.

Action: Fruit—cardiotonic. Leaves, flowers and rind—used as a sedative in nervous affections. Leaves— used in convulsive cough, chorea, epilepsy, also in the treatment of haemorrhagic diseases. A lotion of boiled leaves used hot in painful swellings. The essential oil from fresh leaves exhibits dermatophytic, and fungistatic activity.

The root-bark contains beta-sitos- terol and acridone alkaloids. It also contains several coumarins. The alkaloids and coumarins show antimicrobial acitivity.

The essential oil from the leaves and unripe fruits contain 20% limonin, 30% nerolol, 40% nerolyl acetate and 3% geraniol. diosmin, beta-sitosterol and beta-D- glucoside. The roots contain campes- terol, stigmasterol, sitosterol and cholesterol.

Aqueous extract of the peel showed hypotensive action in dogs.

The fruits and seeds are a cardioton- ic; found useful in palpitation.

Dosage: Fruit—10-20 ml juice. (API Vol. III.) Leaf, flower, fruit, root— 50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... citrus maxima

Cucurbita Moschata

Duch. ex Poir.

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, phos- phatidylcholine and phosphatidylinos- itol. The aqueous extract of seeds showed potent gastroprotective activity against ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats.

In Chinese medicine, Cucurbita mo- schata flower is used in jaundice, dysentery and cough; the root in jaundice, strangury, galactostasis and dysentery; the stem in irregular menstruation and scalds.... cucurbita moschata

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 hyperplasia stages 1 and 2. (German Commission E, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) In childhood enuresis noctruna. (Expanded Commission E.)

The roasted and fresh seeds yield 32.2 and 38.0% of fatty oil respectively. The oil filled capsules were administered to patients suffering from hypertrophy of the prostate. Results showed that the frequent urge to urinate decreased and the urine residues were minimized.

The oil consists of the glycerides of linoleic 45, oleic 25, palmitic and stearic acids 30%. Sterols have been isolated.... cucurbita pepo

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