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Kushmanda

Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.

Kushmanda (Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.) is a plant drug, also called Brihatphalam, Puspaphalam and Kushmand, from the Cucurbitaceae family. Recognized as a food-medicine in WHO SEARO region traditional medicine databases; Kushmanda Rasayana is a classical Ayurvedic formulation in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.

Key facts
Botanical nameBenincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.
FamilyCucurbitaceae · other entries in this family
OrderCucurbitales
Pharmacopoeia statusRecognized as a food-medicine in WHO SEARO region traditional medicine databases; Kushmanda Rasayana is a classical Ayurvedic formulation in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2874524 · NCBI Taxonomy 102211
Names in other languages
SanskritBrihatphalam, Puspaphalam
HindiKushmand, Petha
EnglishWhite guard melon
TamilPooshanikkai
MalayalamKumbalanga
TeluguBoodida Gummadi
KannadaBoodi Humbala
MarathiKohala
BengaliChal Kumra
GujaratiBhuru, Bhuru Kolu, Kohalu, Safed Kohalu
UrduPetha
PunjabiPetha
OriyaKakharu, Panikakharu
AssameseKumra

Source: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed). How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2015 to 2024, 11 with a DOI.

  • 5Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 7Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishKushmanda
Latin/BotanicalBenincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

  • Bryonolic acid (pentacyclic triterpene)
  • Lupeol
  • Alnusenol
  • Beta-sitosterol
  • Isomultiflorenol
  • Multiflorenol
  • Hispidacin (flavonoid)
  • Volatile oils and cucurbitacins (trace)

How does it work?

  • Neuroprotective: Triterpenes and flavonoids restore acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin levels; reduce oxidative stress (MDA) and enhance antioxidant defenses (SOD, catalase, GSH) in neuronal tissue
  • Anti-inflammatory: Lupeol and bryonolic acid inhibit COX-2, iNOS, and NF-kB-mediated inflammatory cascades
  • Nephroprotective: Triterpenes and sterols reduce renal oxidative stress, inhibit calcium oxalate crystallization, and protect tubular epithelium

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • Medhya (intellect-promoting): traditionally used to support the mind and intellect. Animal studies of an Alzheimer’s disease model have reported restoration of neurotransmitter levels.
  • Traditionally used for ulcers. Studies have reported gastroprotective activity, with reduced gastric acid secretion and enhanced mucosal defense.
  • Mutrala: traditionally used as a Diuretic and for the kidneys. Studies have reported increased urine output and renal stone dissolution activity.

What do recent studies show?

Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

  • Long history of dietary safety as a widely consumed vegetable; no significant toxicity reported in animal studies at doses up to 2000 mg/kg
  • Generally well-tolerated; may cause mild flatulence due to high fiber content; diabetic patients should monitor blood sugar (potential hypoglycemic synergy)

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh juice), Avaleha (Kushmanda Avaleha/Rasayana), Churna (powder), Capsule, Ghrita (medicated ghee), Peya (thin gruel)

Standard Dosage: 20-40 mL fresh juice daily; 10-20 g Kushmanda Avaleha twice daily; 3-5 g powder; 5-10 g Ghrita

Optimal Timing: Avaleha: morning on empty stomach or twice daily for Rasayana (rejuvenation) therapy; juice: morning; Ghrita: before meals with warm water

Storage: Fresh fruit and juice require refrigeration (2-8°C). Avaleha in glass jars at 15-30°C (sugar acts as natural preservative). Ghrita in airtight glass containers at room temperature. Powder in moisture-proof containers.

Marker Compounds: Alonusin, Isovitexin, Cucurbitacin B, Cucurbitacin E, Luteolin-7-glucoside, Vitamin C, Beta-carotene, Pectin

Synergistic Combinations

  • Brahmi for cognitive enhancement (Medhya Rasayana)
  • Ashwagandha for comprehensive rejuvenation
  • Yashtimadhu, traditionally combined for gastric support
  • Amalaki for antioxidant potentiation
  • Shankhapushpi for anxiolytic and nootropic synergy

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Other clinical studies and reviews5

  1. Zhang M, Lei J, Wang Y and others. 2023. Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Benincasae Exocarpium: A reviewChinese herbal medicines. PMID 36875430 · doi:10.1016/j.chmed.2022.10.001
  2. Islam MT, Quispe C, El-Kersh DM and others. 2021. A Literature-Based Update on Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.: Traditional Uses, Nutraceutical, and Phytopharmacological ProfilesOxidative medicine and cellular longevity. PMID 34925698 · doi:10.1155/2021/6349041
  3. Talaei A, Forouzanfar F, Akhondzadeh S. 2021. Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A ReviewCurrent drug discovery technologies. PMID 31660838 · doi:10.2174/1570163816666191011105050
  4. Meena S, Kanthaliya B, Joshi A and others. 2020. Biologia futura: medicinal plants-derived bioactive peptides in functional perspective-a reviewBiologia futura. PMID 34554518 · doi:10.1007/s42977-020-00042-4
  5. Jadoon S, Karim S, Bin Asad MH and others. 2015. Anti-Aging Potential of Phytoextract Loaded-Pharmaceutical Creams for Human Skin Cell LongetivityOxidative medicine and cellular longevity. PMID 26448818 · doi:10.1155/2015/709628

Laboratory and animal studies7

  1. Lakshmanagowda NK, Sagar N, Puttasiddaiah R and others. 2024. Benincasa hispida Alleviates Stress and Anxiety in a Zebrafish (Danio rerio) ModelLife (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38541704 · doi:10.3390/life14030379
  2. Phumat P, Chaichit S, Potprommanee S and others. 2023. Influence of Benincasa hispida Peel Extracts on Antioxidant and Anti-Aging Activities, including Molecular Docking SimulationFoods (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 37835208 · doi:10.3390/foods12193555
  3. Wang Q, Yang X, Zhu C and others. 2022. Valorization of Polysaccharides From Benincasa hispida: Physicochemical, Moisturizing, and Antioxidant Skincare PropertiesFrontiers in pharmacology. PMID 35784722 · doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.912382
  4. Ahmad H, Zhao X, Ahmad N and others. 2022. Benincasa hispida extracts positively regulated high salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats: Impact on biochemical profile and metabolic patternsJournal of food biochemistry. PMID 36314446 · doi:10.1111/jfbc.14497
  5. Ma L, Liu Z, Cheng Z and others. 2021. Identification and Application of BhAPRR2 Controlling Peel Colour in Wax Gourd (Benincasa hispida)Frontiers in plant science. PMID 34659288 · doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.716772
  6. Shakya A, Chaudhary SK, Bhat HR and others. 2020. Acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies of Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) cogniaux fruit extract in rodentsRegulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP. PMID 32976857 · doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2020.104785
  7. Une HD, Doshi GM. 2016. Carissa congesta Wight and Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. as budding immunomodulatory agentsIndian journal of experimental biology. PMID 30084565

Reference lists that include it

Lupeol

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.