Therapeutic Potential and Pharmacognostic Review of Benincasa hispida

Abstract

Benincasa hispida is a Traditional medicinal plant used for many purposes. The present review study is about the natural herb, Benincasa hispida also known as Ash gourd, Family: Cucurbitaceae It is widely grown throughout south and southeast Asia, places where it is thought to have originated. It was popular vegetable widely used for nutritional and medicinal purposes. All parts of the fruit can be used as medicine. Physicochemical analysis showed that the major constitute of Benincasa hispida fruits are volatile oils, flavonoids, proteins, carotenes, minerals, vitamin, glycosides, uronic acid. It also possesses many Pharmacological properties like Anti-asthmatic, Nootropic activity, Hypoglycemic activity, antimicrobial action etc.

Keywords

Introduction

Benincasa hispida  which belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae commonly called wax gourd, ash gourd, winter melon. Wax gourd has been used as a food and medicine for thousands of years in east Asia. All parts of the plant are used medicinally. It is also called as Ash gourd, green pumpkin, White gourd. It is cultivated through India including tribal village and settlements and on the hills up to 1200 m altitude, as a vegetable. This plant grows annually. The Red Data Book of India has 427 entries of endangered species of which 28 are considered extinct, 124 endangered, 81 vulnerable, 100 rare and 34 insufficiently known species [1].

Syn: Benincasa hispida  (Thunb) Cogn, Family: Cucurbitaceae is a widely used vegetable in India and other tropical countries. It is also called as winter melon, white gourd, ash gourd, or "fuzzy melon" and is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature.

It is the only member of the genus Benincasa and has been the subject of many investigations  for its biologically active components [2].

This plant is a creeping with branched tendrils that can climb over with the help of some support, cover fences or sprawl along the ground. Stems are thick, hairy, grooved conspicuously and lined with sharp bristles. Leaves are round, kidney shaped with upper rough surface. These have beautiful flower of golden yellow colour. Fruits contain numerous white coloured embedded seeds. In ayurvedic medicines, seeds are used in the treatment of antihelmintic, anti-inflammatory demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative and tonic. Fruit are diuretic, laxative, tonic. It is used in ayurvedic medicine in the treatment of epilepsy, lung disease, asthma. It was preferred as a cooked vegetable, boiled alone, boiled with meat, or included in a variety of dishes. Also, it was used raw like sliced cucumbers [3].

However, the plant was used medicinally in various complains such as gastrointestinal problems, respiratory disease, heart diseases, diabetes mellitus and urinary disease.

Fig no.01- Benincasa hispida plant

Phytochemicals of Benincasa hispida plant:

Sr. No.	Plant part	Chemical constituents
1	Seeds	Saponin, urea, citrulline, linoleic acid, oleic acid and fatty, triterpenoid known as isomultiflorenol, proteins such as trigonelline, coffearin, and osmotin, steroids such as beta sitosterol and stigmast-5-ene-3-beta-ol, alkaloids such as 5-methylcytosine, and triterpenoids such as cucurbitacin[3].
2	Fruits	Triterpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, saccharides, carotenes, vitamins, β sitosterin [4].
3	Leaves	uronic acid alnusenol, multiflorenol, isomultiflorenol; flavone: iso-vitexin; and sterols: lupeol, lupeol acetate, and beta-sitosterol [5].

Chemical analysis showed that the main sugars in the Benincasa hispida  peels were galactose, glucose, xylose and sorbose. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) of Benincasa hispida  seeds extract was investigated using conventional Soxhlet extraction (CSE), and DPPH and ABTS scavenging activity tests. The ethanolic extract gave the highest total phenolic content 11.34±1.3 mg GAE/g and antioxidant activity followed by ethyl acetate and n-hexane extract.  Benincasa hispida  seeds contained high amount of fatty acids 24.3% , saturated fatty acids represented 75.38% and unsaturated fatty acids (75.38%), it was apparent that linoleic and oleic are the principal fatty acid components in the seed’s extracts[6].

The seeds revealed that the total dietary fiber was 58.43% of the seed. The seed crude fat and crude protein were found to be 20.70 and 11.63% respectively. It appeared that the extracted seed oil was mainly consisted of linoleic acid accounting for 67.37% of the total fatty acids. However, palmitic, oleic, and stearic acids represented 17.11, 10.21 and 4.83% respectively. [7].

Synonyms:[8]    

Sr. No.	Vernacular name	Benincasa hispida
1	Marathi	Bhopla, Kohla
2	Hindi	Petha
3	English	Wax gourd, Ash gourd
4	Sanskrit	Ghrinavasa, Karkaru
5	Tamil	NeerPoosanikai
6	Chalkumra, Kumra	Bengali
7	Telugu	Boodida Gummadkaaya

Taxonomical Classification:[9]

Sr. No	Kingdom	Plantae
2	Division	Eudicots
3	Subclass	Tracheobionta
4	Order	Cucurbitales
5	Family	Cucurbitaceae
6	Subfamily	Cucurbitoideae
7	Tribe	Benincaseae
8	Subtribe	Benincasinae
9	Genus	Benincasa
10	Species	B. hispida

Traditional uses of Benincasa hispida :

Sr. No.	Edible Uses	Medicinal Uses:
1	The fruit can be eaten when it is young or old and raw or cooked[10]	The wax gourd has been used as a food and medicine for thousands of years[14]
2	Young leaves and flower buds are steamed and eaten as a vegetable [11]	An infusion of the root is used in the treatment of gonorrhea [14].
3	Added as a flavouring to soups [12]	Fruit is used in ayurvedic medicine in the treatment of epilepsy, lung diseases, asthma, coughs, etc. [15]
4	It is used as a vegetable, and in pickles, curries and preserves[13]	It is taken internally in the treatment of urinary dysfunction, summer fevers [16].

Fig no.02- Health Benefits of Benincasa hispida plant

Pharmacological  Activities of Benincasa hispida  L.

1. Antioxidant effect:

The antioxidant activity and phenolic content of Benincasa hispida   Seeds extract were investigated using conventional Soxhlet extraction and DPPH Tests. The ethanolic extract gave the highest total phenolic content 11.34+- 1.3 Mg and Antioxidant Activity. Followed by ethyl acetate and n – hexane extract.

The antioxidant capacity of skin, pulp and seed of wax gourd extracts were measured by three different assays such as scavenging activity, ferric reducing activity. Antioxidants scavenge the free radicals that are produced in the body and their levels are depleted. Benincasa hispida  fruit extracts inhibited super oxide anion radicals compared to other radicals[17].

2. Antiulcer activity:

This study was undertaken to determine the healing of ulcers induced by indomethacin due to antioxidant role of fruit extract of Benincasa hispida  (Ash gourd) on ulcers in rats. On induction of gastric ulcer, there was significant increase in SOD in RBC and homogenate levels and vitamin C in plasma. There was an apparent decrease in ulcer index in animals treated with fruit extract. There was significant decrease in MDA with concomitant decrease in SOD and vitamin C levels in the treated rats when compared to those not treated with fruit extract. Benincasa hispida  has been shown to contain certain active principles like terpenes, flavonoid C – glycosides and sterols which have antioxidant effects. These probably inhibit gastric mucosal injury by scavenging the free radicals and repress production of SOD and vitamin C [18].

3. Central nervous effects:

The anxiolytic effects of alcoholic extract of B. hispida were evaluated in mice using elevated plus maze and light-dark transition test and spontaneous motor activity measured by actophotometer. The oral administration of the extract increased the percentage of time spent and the percentage of open arm entries in the elevated plus maze, as well as increase the time spent in the illuminated side of the light-dark test. The same extract was not able to modify the spontaneous motor activity measured in actophotometer [2]. The methanolic extract of Benincasa hispida  exhibited significant anti-compulsive effect in marble-burying behaviour test in mice, the effect which may be attributed to the enhancement of serotonergic function [10]. The methanolic extract of fruit of Benincasa hispida  caused reduction in spontaneous motor activity with no muscle relaxant activity. It also significantly potentiated the barbiturate induced hypnosis, and showed significant antihistaminic activity [20].

The anticonvulsant properties of alcoholic extract of Benincasa hispida were studied on maximal electroshock test (MEST), pentylenetetrazole and strychnine-induced seizures model in mice. The alcoholic extract of Benincasa hispida  protected animals against maximal electroshock-induced convulsion and reduced the mean recovery time from convulsion. It also showed anticonvulsant activity against pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion and protected mice against strychnine-induced convulsions[21].

The antidepressant activity of the methanolic extract (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, administered orally for 14 successive days) was tested in Swiss male albino mice in comparison with classical antidepressant drugs (imipramine 15 mg/kg, fluoxetine 20 mg/kg, and phenelzine 20 mg/kg). The methanolic extract of B. hispida showed significant antidepressant-like activity in mice probably by inhibiting MAO-A, and through interaction with dopaminergic, α1- adrenergic, serotoninergic, and GABAergic systems[22].

4. Effects on gastrointestinal system:

The free radical scavenging and antiulcer potential of the methanol extract of Benincasa hispida  seeds was evaluated by DPPH method for antioxidant effect and by using pyloric ligation, water immersion stress and indomethacin induced gastric ulcer model for antiulcer effects in rats. The methanolic extract showed concentration dependent DPPH radical scavenging activity. It was also inhibited gastric ulceration by decreasing the gastric volume and free and total acidity. The high dose (300 mg/kg bw) showed significant reduction in the above parameters which was comparable to the standard drug ranitidine (p< 0.05) in all the models (ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage, pylorus ligated ulcer model, cold and restraint stress-induced gastric ulcer model), and the results were comparable with that of omeprazole treated group. Furthermore, a significant reduction in vascular permeability (P < 0.05) was also observed. However, in cold and restraint stress-induced gastric ulcer model, MDA content was significantly reduced along with increase in CAT levels as compared to control group[23]. The fruit peel ethanolic extracts of the Benincasa hispida  displayed a significant anthelmintic activity mouse with 0.2, 0.6 and 1 g/kg was 27%, 38% and 54% respectively. The 4 hours gastric emptying was not significantly influenced by MEBH when compared to control. It was postulated that the anorectic activity of Benincasa hispida  was mediated through the central nervous system without affecting the gastric emptying[24].

5. Anti- asthmatic effects:

Two triterpenes, namely alonusenol and multiflorenol extracted from the methanolic extract of B. hispida fruit exhibited mast cell stabilizing effect and found to have potential inhibitory effect on the histamine release induced by antigen antibody reaction [25]. Methanol extract of Benincasa hispida  (MEBH) showed excellent protection in guinea pigs against the histamine-induced bronchospasm even at a very low dose, 50 mg/kg orally. However, even at a higher dose level 400 mg/kg, MEBH did not significant protect against acetylcholine- induced bronchospasm. The results suggest that the protective effect against bronchospasm induced by histamine aerosol may be mediated by antihistaminic activity (H1 receptor antagonism [26].

6. Anti – inflammatory and analgesic effects:

The methanolic extract of Benincasa hispida  at doses of 250 and 500 mg| kg significantly increased the antinociceptive effective in a dose dependant manner in rats ( as determined by analgesiometer which exerts force at a constantly increasing rate on the rat paw.)

The preliminary investigations of aqueous extract of Benincasa hispida  showed that it exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. Petroleum ether and methanolic extract of Benincasa hispida  fruit, at the dose of 300mg| kg body weight, produced dose dependant and significant inhibition of carrageenan induced paw edema, histamine induced paw edema[27].

7. Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects:

The stem chloroform extract of Benincasa hispida  has significant hypoglycaemic activity in normal male Wistar rats. The maximum reduction in blood glucose levels with stem extract of Benincasa hispida  was recorded at a dose of 200 mg/kg bw. Salad was prepared by using 100gm of ash gourd (Benincasa hispida ) and one gram of curry leaves (10 curry leaves) and five grams of skimmed milk powder (made into curd) and pepper and salt are added for taste. This salad was freshly prepared every day and given to hyperlipidaemic diabetic patients in mid-morning for a period of three months to find out the therapeutic effect of supplementation of ash gourd and curry leaves. Supplementation of ash gourd and curry leaves had significant hypoglycaemic and hypolipemic effect and it reduced the blood glucose level (both fasting and post prandial), within the period of three months. Benincasa hispida  in a dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg in mice induced dose dependent decrease in glucose, triglyceride and insulin levels in plasma. It was also increased the glucose uptake from hemidiaphragm [28].

8. Antimicrobial effects:

The antibacterial activity of seed oil of B. hispida was tested against selected pathogens (gram positive, M. luteus, S. aureus and B. subtilis; and gram negative, E. coli, P. multocida and P. aeruginosa). Maximum mean zone of inhibition was observed against B. subtilis (16mm) and the minimum against Micrococcus luteus (11mm)P (39)P. However, the antibacterial activity of methanolic extract of Benincasa hispida  was studied against three-gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus subtilis and three-gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia, and the antifungal activity was studied against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The methanolic extract of Benincasa hispida  showed no antibacterial activity, but it caused significant zone of inhibition against Candida albicans at the concentration of 30 mg/ml, while, it caused no inhibition against Aspergillus Niger[29]

9. Nootropic activity:-

The objective of this study was to investigate the cognitive function enhancing effect of methanol extract of fruit Benincasa hisp. Cogn in mice using Y maze and elevated plus maze. Spatial working memory in mice was evaluated using Y maze and long-term memory was evaluated by latency test using elevated plus maze. In Y maze test, MEBH (0.6-1 g/kg) produced significant reduction in number of entries and increase in percentage of alteration. In latency test, MEBH 0.6 and 0.8 g/kg significantly reduced the latency period. In both the models, MEBH was significantly able to antagonize the amnesic effect of scopolamine. In Conclusion the MEBH exhibited prominent nootropic effect and anti-amnesic effect in both models of memory[30].

CONTRAINDICATION AND SIDE EFFECTS:

In acute toxicity study in rats, the aqueous and ethanolic extract of Benincasa hispida  (Thunb.) COGN. were found to be safe and no mortality was observed at a dose as high as 5 g/kg bw [31,32].

The chloroform extract was tested for its acute toxicity in albino rats (0.25 g/kg, 0.5 g/kg, 0.75 g/kg and 1 g/kg). The parameters which were observed were hyperactivity, sedation, loss of righting reflex, respiratory rate and convulsions. No toxic effects and mortality were recorded[33].

CONCLUSION:

The present review showed the information regarding phytochemistry, pharmacology and medicinal uses of Benincasa hispida . On the basis of investigations Benincasa hispida  shows antioxidant activity, Nootropic  activity, Central nervous system activity, anti-inflammatory activity, it shows antimicrobial effect, analgesic effect. There is increasing demand for the herbal medicinal plants all over the world because the fact that the allopathic drugs are having more side effects and this is one of the herbal drugs having numerous actions to cure differing types of diseases. Benincasa hispida  used in GIT Problems like dyspepsia, burning sensation, heart disease, diabetes, and urinary disease.

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