KUSMANDA (Fruit)
Kusmanda consists of the dried piece of fruits of Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (Fam. Cucurbitacem), an extensive trailing or climbing herb cultivated throughout the plains of India and on the hills upto 1200 m altitude, as a vegetable.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Puspaphalam, Brihatphalam
Assamese : Kumra
Bengali : Chal Kumra
English : White guard melon
Gujrati : Safed Kohalu, Bhuru, Kohalu, Bhuru Kolu
Hindi : Kushmand, Petha
Kannada : Boodi Humbala
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Kumbalanga
Marathi : Kohala
Oriya : Kakharu, Panikakharu
Punjabi : Petha
Tamil : Pooshanikkai
Telugu : Boodida Gummadi
Urdu : Petha
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs in deformed, compressed, cut pieces of various sizes; epicarp cream coloured with light yellowish to brownish mesocarp; taste, slightly acidic.
b) Microscopic
Mature fruit shows cuticularised epicarp consisting of single layered, squarish or slightly tangentially elongated cells of epidermis, outer tangential walls of epidermis thickened and cuticularised; a few epidermal cells divide periclinally and become 2 or 3 layered; mesocarp has a heterogenous structure consisting of multilayered hypodermis composed of tangentially elongated, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; immediately within this is a zone of thick-walled, multilayered, lignified sclereids with the outer one to three layers thicker than the inner 2 to 6 or more layers; beneath this zone, thinwalled tangentially elongated, parenchymatous cells present, their size gradually increasing from those at periphery to those inside of mesocarp, the latter becoming circular having conspicuous intercellular spaces; vascular bundles poorly developed, bicollateral, found scattered throughout mesocarp.
Powder – Dirty brown; shows numerous fragments of thin-walled, tangentially elongated and circular parenchymatous cells, numerous sclereids in groups and singles and a few fragments of xylem vessels having spiral thickenings.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 12 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 10 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 24 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Benzene: Ethylacetate (9:1) shows under U.V. (366nm) two fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.71 and 0.79 (both violet). On exposure to Iodine vapour eight spots appear at Rf. 0.07, 0.18, 0.28, 0.40, 0.50, 0.59, 0.71 and 0.79 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate at 105oC for ten minute six spots appear at Rf. 0.07, 0.18, 0.40, 0.50, 071 and 0.79 (all violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Fatty Oil
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Amla
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Balya, Dipana, Hrdya, Vrsya, Bastisodhaka, Mehana, Tridosahara, Jirnanga Pusti Prada, Bastisodhaka, Sramsana, Arocakahara, Vatapittajit
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Vastyamayantaka Ghrta, Kusmandaka Rasayana, Dhatryadi Ghrta
THERAPEUTIC USES – Mutraghata, Mutrakrcchra, Prameha, Trsna, Asmari, Manasa Vikara, Malabandha
DOSE – 5-10 gm.
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