OVERVIEW ON Cucurbita maxima

Cucurbita maxima is a creeper which is found very frequently on the roofs of houses all over India. The used parts are seeds, pulp and fruit stalk. Similar to other Cucurbitaceous plants it constitutes of saponins, fixed oil, resin, protein, sugar, starch. It also contains glutamic acid and calcium in measurable amount. The seeds shows anthelminitic, taenicide and diuretic. Oil from the seeds is a nervine tonic. Fruit is largely used by Indians in their curries. The shoots young leaves are used as a pot herb, the seeds are eaten. Dried pulp of the fruit is a remedy in haemoptysis and haemorrhages from the pulmonary organs, it is given in the form of a confection.