Habitat Wild on wastelands of Sindh, Baluchistan, Rajasthan; in
dry districts of Bellary in the South.
English Wild Cucumber.
Ayurvedic Indravarruni (var.).
Folk Khar-indraayana.
Action Emetic, purgative. Toxic.
Fruit pulp—a bitter resinous body, myriocarpin, produces nausea and is slightly purgative.
The fruit contain cucurbitacin B,C,D and Qi, and propheterosterol and its acetate. Cucurbitacin Qi is an anti- tumour agent. Amino acids from the fruits are leucine, iso-leucine, phenylalanine, valine, tryptophan, tyrosine, proline, alanine threonine, glycine, arginine, crystine and aspartic acid.
Cucumis sativus Linn.
Family Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat Cultivated for its edible fruits which are usually used as salad vegetable.
English Cucumber.
Ayurvedic Trapusha, Traapusha, Trapushi, Tiktakarkatikaa (bitter
var.).
Unani Khiyaar, Khiraa. Siddha/Tamil Vellarikkai.
Folk Khiraa.
Action Seed—used in dysuria, irritation of the urinary tract, cystitis. Reduces specific gravity of urine. Also used for tapeworms.
Cucumber contains rutin; seeds glucosides including cucurbitaside; leaves free cucurbitasides B & C, ferredoxin, aipha-spinasterol. Free and bound sterols are found in seedlings and in male and female flowers.
Presence of proteolytic enzymes, ascorbic acid oxidase and succinic and malic dehydrogenases has been reported.
Dosage Seed—3—6 g powder; fruit juice—25—50 ml. (CCRAS.)
Cucumis trigonus Roxb.
Synonym C. pseudo-colocynthis
Royle.
C.callosus (Rotti.) Congn.
Bryonia callosa Rottl.
Habitat Wild throughout the drier upland tracts of India.
