Cucurbitaceae: A Ethnomedicinally Important VegetablernFamily

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used for centuries, and numerous cultures still rely on plants for their primary healthrncare needs. In the recent past there has been a tremendous increase in the use of plant based health products inrndeveloping as well as developed countries resulting in an exponential growth of herbal products globally. Herbalrnmedicines have a strong traditional or conceptual base and the potential to be useful as drugs in terms of safety andrneffectiveness, leads for treating different diseases. The present article gives an account of such a medicinallyrnimportant family cucurbitacese which comprise both wild and cultivated species and is consumed in different waysrnlike sweet, vegetable and salads, but less is known about its medicinal importance. Thus a survey was carried out, tornrecord the traditional health care remedies currently practiced by the local people.