Abstract
Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae) is an annual climbing plant, native to Asia with multiple therapeutic uses in traditional medicine. This updated review is aimed at discussing the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, pharmacological properties, and molecular mechanisms highlighted in preclinical experimental studies and toxicological safety to evaluate the therapeutic potential of this genus. The literature from PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Springer, Science Direct, and database was analyzed using the basic keyword “Benincasa hispida.” Other searching strategies, including online resources, books, and journals, were used. The taxonomy of the plant has been made by consulting “The Plant List”. The results showed that B. hispida has been used in traditional medicine to treat neurological diseases, kidney disease, fever, and cough accompanied by thick mucus and to fight intestinal worms. The main bioactive compounds contained in Benincasa hispida have cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Further safety and efficacy investigations are needed to confirm these beneficial therapeutic effects and also future human clinical studies.
Highlights
Food and food products are being used as medicines over centuries worldwide
This review is aimed at sketching an up-to-date scenario on the indigenous uses, nutraceutical, and phytochemical composition along with the pharmacological activities of B. hispida based on database reports
In Ayurveda, the fruits are used to treat epilepsy, lung diseases, asthma, cough, and urinary retention. Starting from these traditional uses, the present paper evaluated the latest in vivo and in vitro pharmacological studies that demonstrated the molecular mechanisms which confirmed ethnopharmacological uses
Summary
Many species from the family Cucurbitaceae have been used as medicaments in various diseases in Ayurveda and ancient Chinese medicine. This family is known as the gourd family. It provides approximately 5 to 6% of the total vegetables in the world. It should be mentioned that the Cucurbit species can grow in diverse climatic conditions, including arid deserts, tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. These various types of species are included in food systems and Indian traditional medicines. The gourd family vegetables provide vitamins, essential minerals, antioxidants, and soluble fibres [2]
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