Vol. 3, Issue 2, Part A (2021)

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. Number of compounds of this group have been investigated for their cytotoxac, 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 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 charaia, Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita andreana, Cucurbita ficifolia, Cucumis sativus, Cucumis melo Cirullus colocynthis, Luffa echinata, Trichosanthes kırılowiz. Lagenaria siceraria, Benincasa hispida etc.