ANCIENT AND RECENT MEDICINAL USES OF CUCURBITACEAE FAMILY

Shweta S. Saboo , Priyanka K. Thorat , Ganesh G. Tapadiya , S S. Khadabadi

The  family  Cucurbitaceae  includes  a  large  group  of  plants  which  are  medicinally valuable.  It  is  a  family  of  about  130  genera  and  about  800  species.  Seeds  or  fruit parts  of  some  cucurbits  are  reported  to  possess  purgatives,  emetics  and   antihelmintics properties  due  to  the  secondary  metabolite  cucurbitacin  content.  A  number  of compounds  of  this  group  have  been  investigated  for  their  cytotoxic,  hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory  and  cardiovascular  effects.  Cucurbitacins  constitute  a  group  of diverse  triterpenoid  substances  which  are  well  known  for  their  bitterness  and  toxicity. They  are  highly  oxygenated,  tetracyclic  triterpenes  containing  a   cucurbitane  skeleton characterized.  The  cucurbitacins  are  arbitrarily  divided  into  twelve  categories, incorporating  cucurbitacins  A-T.  A  lot  of  work  has  been  done  by  the  researchers throughout  the  world  on  various  plants  of  the  family  Cucurbitaceae.  Some  of  the important  plants  that  have  been  extensively  studied  are  Momordica  charantia,  Cucurbita  pepo, Cucurbita  andreana, Cucurbita  ficifolia,  Cucumis  sativus,  Cucumis melo,  Citrullus  colocynthis,  Luffa  echinata,  Trichosanthes  kirilowii,  Lagenaria siceraria,  Benincasa  hispida etc.  
KEY WORDS:
cucurbitacin, Cucumis, Trichosanthes, Cucurbita., Bryonia dioica , Cucumis.
 

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