Botany, diversity, utilization and improvement of ash gourd (Benincasa hispida Thunb. Ex Murray Cogn)-A review

Ash gourd (Benincasa hispida Cogn.) is an important vegetable crop of India, China, the Philippines and many other parts of Asian countries. It is also grown in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its fruits contain various minerals and vitamins, having a relatively high level of K and Na, and low calorific value and no fat. From the Index of Nutrition Quality Value (INQV), it has been evaluated as a quality vegetable but occasionally used as vegetable. Its mature fruits are mostly used by confectioners for sweet making and in villages it is used for ‘Bari’ making, which is popular ingredient of vegetable. The fruit contains 11–70 mg of calcium per 100 g and 0.3–0.45 per cent of other minerals; also 0.38 ppm of iodine and 3 ppm of fluorine are present other than the numerous compounds. Various part of the ash gourd plant are valued in indigenous medicine (Ayurvedic medicinal preparation). The juice of the leaves is cooling and rubbed on bruises. A decoction of the fruit is styptic, laxative, diuretic and given to cure internal haemorrhages and diseases of the respiratory tract. It is also a popular anti-mercurial and an antidote for alcoholic poisoning. The fruits are made into ‘Kushmanda lehyam’ which can be stored for several years. It is recommended for various ailments like epilepsy, constipation, constipation, piles, dyspepsia, syphilis and diabetes. The ash of fruit rind is applied on painful swellings. The seeds and their oil are considered anthelmintic and prescribed in cases of round worm and tape worm infestations. In China, it is used to treat acute appendicitis and the seed ash is a prized remedy for gonorrhoea. Ash gourd is valued for its medicinal attributes especially in Ayurveda for the cure of peptic ulcers. Apart from various use of ash gourd viz. vegetable, petha (sweet), Ayurvedic medicine, its utilization as potential rootstocks has recently been attracted the attentions of growers and nurserymen. High yield of melon is obtained by grafting on ash gourd root stocks. Melon grafted on to Benincasa cerifera acquires resistance to Fusarium oxysporum. A high degree of resistance to Didymella bryoniae has been observed while using ash gourd as rootstock for melon. In recent past, some efforts were made to collect its valuable germplasm from all over the country and some high yielding varieties were also evolved.