Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376

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Food Research International

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Review

Kundur [Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.]: A potential source for valuable nutrients
and functional foods
Nurul Aqilah Mohd Zaini a, Farooq Anwar a,b, Azizah Abdul Hamid a, Nazamid Saari a,⁎
a
Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
b
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Kundur [Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.], a member of the family Cucurbitaceae, is one of the famous crops
Received 19 August 2010 that are grown primarily for its fruits and usually recognized with its nutritional and medicinal properties
Accepted 16 October 2010 especially in Asian countries. Kundur fruit has been valued as a nutritious vegetable as it provides a good
source for natural sugars, amino acids, organic acids, mineral elements and vitamins. A number of medicinal
Keywords:
properties such as anti-diarrheal, anti-obesity, anti-ulcer, and antioxidant and diuretic have been ascribed to
Cucurbitaceae
Kundur fruit
this fruit of high economic value. As a rich source of functionally important bioactives and therapeutics such as
Valuable nutrients triterpenes, phenolics, sterols, and glycosides, the fruit has been widely used for the treatment of epilepsy,
Bioactives ulcer, and other nervous disorders in the native medicine system of Asia. This review focuses on the
Antioxidants cultivation, nutritional and chemical composition, as well as medicinal and therapeutic properties of this
Medicinal uses multipurpose fruit, as one of the potential sources of bioactives for functional food and nutraceutical
applications.
© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2368
2. Description and properties of Kundur fruit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2370
3. Nutritional and phytochemicals composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2371
3.1. Nutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2371
3.2. Amino acids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2371
3.3. Natural sugars and organic acids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2371
3.4. Volatile compounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2372
3.5. Miscellaneous compounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2372
4. Health benefits and therapeutic uses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2372
5. Pharmacological and medicinal properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2372
5.1. Antioxidant activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2373
5.2. ACE-inhibitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2373
5.3. Alzheimer disease treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2373
5.4. Anti-compulsive effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2373
5.5. Anti-ulcer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2373
5.6. Anti-inflammatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2374
5.7. Anti-obesity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2374
5.8. Anti-diarrheal agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2374
5.9. Other therapeutic uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2374
6. Commercial food uses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2374
7. Future prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2374
8. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2375
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2375

⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: + 60 3 89468385; fax: + 60 3 8942552.

E-mail address: nazamid@putra.upm.edu.my (N. Saari).

0963-9969/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2010.10.024
 N.A.M. Zaini et al. / Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376 2369

Table 1 risk of degenerative diseases that come with aging such as cancer,
Worldwide production of some important Cucurbit fruits (pumpkin, squash and cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and brain and immune dysfunction
gourd).
Source: FAO (2009).
(Ames, Shigenaga, & Hagen, 1993; Liu et al., 2008; Siddhuraju & Becker,
2007).
Country Production (Metric Tons) Cucurbitaceae (cucurbit) family is one of the most genetically
1987 1997 2007 diverse groups of food plants in the plant kingdom. The plants belonging
China 1,063,366a 3,075,232a 6,309,623a to this family are frost-sensitive, drought-tolerant, and intolerant to wet
India 2,685,000a 3,300,000a 3,500,000a and poorly drained soils (Whitaker & Bohn, 1950). Some prominent
Russian Federation N.A. 750,000b 1,318,150 cucurbit family members are gourd, melon, cucumber, squash and
United States of America N.A. N.A. 864,180 pumpkin (Robinson & Decker-Walters, 1999). The Food and Agriculture
Egypt 436,000 568,035 708,000a
Mexico 257,310 440,001 516,721
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (FAO, 2009), summarized the
Islamic Republic of Iran 807,500b 536,000 505,000a worldwide production of some important cucurbit fruits (pumpkin,
Cuba N.A. N.A. 450,000a squash and gourds) for the period, 1987 to 2007 (Table 1). Production of
Ukraine N.A. N.A. 524,700 cucurbit seems to have increased over time due to high demand and
Philippines N.A. 160,815 365,698
consumer awareness on the health benefits of cucurbit fruits. The data
Italy 342,950 465,117 338,211
Republic of Korea N.A. 180,779 330,040 showed competition between China and India in terms of production of
Spain 229,921 341,309 315,000a cucurbit fruits. From 1987 to 1997, India was the largest cucurbit
Turkey 380,000 381,000 337,882 producer; however, within the next 10 years (from 1997 to 2007), China
Argentina 372,500 275,700 300,000a replaced India as the largest producer. This was followed by the Russian
Bangladesh 117,115 185,000 274,635
Pakistan 120,998 244,443b 255,000a
Federation, the United States of America, Egypt, Mexico and the Islamic
Indonesia 190,847 N.A. 254,056 Republic of Iran with production of more than 0.5 million metric tons in
Japan 276,800 247,000 237,000a the year 2007.
Thailand 200,000a 200,000a 226,000a Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (synonym; Benincasa cerifera
N.A.: data are not available from the sources. Savi) is one of the species of cucurbit family, which has a great
a
FAO (2009). potential for functional food production. The plant is monocious vine
b
Unofficial figure. type bearing large green fruits (Yadav, Yadav, & Sarma, 2005). One of
the unique characteristics of Kundur fruit, if there is no injury to the
1. Introduction fruits, in that it can be stored for many months, even for a full year in
dry and cool atmospheres (Morton 1971). The average production of
Currently, there is revival of interest in the use of plants as sources the fruit of this green vegetable is around 18.5 t/ha (Mazumder,
of food and medicine. Some plant-derived bioactives and therapeutics Morvan, Thakur, & Ray, 2004; The Wealth of India, 1962). Mingyu
play a preventive role against the incidence of certain diseases such as et al. (1995) claimed that B. hispida has been valued as a high-quality
cancer, aging, inflammation and cardiovascular disorders (Elless, vegetable, based on the Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) data. Fig. 1
Blaylock, Huang, & Gussman, 2000; Liu, Qiu, Ding, & Yao, 2008; shows the data from the Australian New Crops Website (2009),
Lucock, 2004; Siddhuraju & Becker, 2007). showing increasing number of research papers produced per year on
Continuing demand from consumer for beneficial foods leads to the B. hispida over the period, 1926 to 2006, with a regression factor (R2),
exploration and recognition of new and emerging sources of functional 0.2875.
foods. In recent years, fruits and vegetables have gained much So far no review has been covered from the literature encompassing
popularity and interest among researchers due to their potential uses valuable attributes of B. hispida fruit in all dimensions. Its versatile utility
as functional food ingredients. It is widely accepted that increased as a nutritious vegetable, and folk medicine and functional food
consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with lowering the ingredient provoked us to compile a comprehensive review of this

Fig. 1. Popularity of Kundur (Benincasa hispida) fruit over time.

Source: Australian New Crops Website (2009).
2370 N.A.M. Zaini et al. / Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376
multipurpose fruit on the distribution and, nutritional and medicinal
properties together with its phytochemicals.
2. Description and properties of Kundur fruit
B. hispida is commonly known as Kundur (Malay), Bhuru Kolu or Safed
Kolu (Gujarati), Petha (Hindi), Kushmanda (Sanskrit), dōngguā (Chinese),
Fak kio (Thailand), Calabaza china or Calabaza blanca (Spanish), Kondol
(Philippines) and Bleego (Indonesian). It also has several English names
such as winter melon, ash gourd, ash pumpkin, white gourd, white
pumpkin, gourd melon, tallow gourd, wax gourd and Chinese watermelon
or Chinese preserving melon (Marr, Xia, & Bhattarai, 2007; Morton, 1971).
According to Walters and Decker-Walters (1989) and Bates and Robinson
(1995), there are four recognized cultivars of Kundur fruit, namely,
unridged winter melon, ridged winter melon, fuzzy gourd and wax gourd.
However, Marr et al. (2007) reported 16 cultivars of Kundur fruit based on
their fruit shape, length, and width as well as skin color. In Malaysia, two
cultivars (round shaped and elongated) of Kundur fruit are grown. The
round shaped fruit (Fig. 2) is frequently cultivated and used for
commercial purposes. Fig. 3 shows the photograph of a typical field
plantation of Kundur in Sungai Lang, Sabak Bernam, Selangor, Malaysia.
Table 2 shows the classification of Kundur fruit according to the
data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, 2009).
Kundur fruit is known as an important vegetable in China, India,
Philippines and elsewhere in Asia. Some reports from Ceylon
(Macmillan, 1948) and India (Hooker, 1879) also suggest that the
Fig. 2. Whole (a) and half-cut (b) Kundur (Benincasa hispida) fruit.
Fig. 3. A typical field plantation of Kundur (Benincasa hispida) in Sungai Lang, Sabak
Bernam, Selangor, Malaysia.
fruit is dominant in the Asian region (Morton, 1971). Walters (1989),
reported that the fruit, a native of Southern Asia, has been widely
cultivated since the fifth century in tropical Asia, India and China.
According to Burkill (1935), Kundur fruit was “probably a native of
Malaysia” and occurred in the wild Java.
Kundur fruit is easier to grow than any of other cucurbits, either as
allowed to spread on the ground or trained to climb a support (Morton,
1971). Kundur fruit is best suited to the medium of dry areas of the
lowland tropics. Srivastava and Sachan (1969) found that excessive
humidity and prolonged overcast have unfavorable effects on the plant
health and productivity. Kundur fruit should not be planted in highly
acidic soil. The soil pH varying between 5.5 and 6.8 is recommended by
Morton (1971), and Robinson and Decker-Walters (1999) for the best
fruit yield. According to Walters and Decker-Walters (1989), it takes
from 6 to 9 weeks for the yellow flowers to develop after seed
germination and the fruit matures for a period of 2–3 months after this.
Young Kundur fruit is fleshy, succulent and hairy while the mature
fruit (large in size) has thickly deposited hairs with easily removable
waxy bloom. The fruit shape may be oblong, cylindrical, or globular.
The flesh of the mature fruit is white, spongy and juicy (Grover, Adiga,
Vats, & Rathi, 2001; Morton, 1971; Walters & Decker-Walters, 1989).
The seeds of winter melon are flat, smooth, and buff ranging from 1.0
to 1.5 cm in length and 0.5 to 0.8 cm in width, depending on the type
and shape of fruit. White or yellowish white seeds are filled in the
center of the fruit (Morton, 1971; Raveendra Retnam & Martin, 2006).
As the fruit matures, the seed color changes from white to yellowish
brown (Fig. 4).
Robinson and Decker-Walters (1999) reported that no serious
diseases and relatively few pest problems related to Kundur fruit. In
India, for example, common pests on Kundur fruit are fruit flies
attacking young fruits, red pumpkin beetles and aphids attacking on
tender seedlings and jassids attacking the mature leaves (Morton,
1971). Because of its resistance to soil-borne diseases, Kundur fruit is
sometimes used as rootstock for grafted melon.
Table 2
Classification of Kundur (Benincasa hispida).
Source: USDA (2009).
Kingdom Plantae — Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta — Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta — Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta — Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida — Dicotyledons
Subclass Dilleniidae
Order Violales
Family Cucurbitaceae — Cucumber family
Genus Benincas Savi — benincasa
Species Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. — waxgourd
 N.A.M. Zaini et al. / Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376 2371

Fig. 4. Color changes in Kundur (Benincasa hispida) fruit seed with maturity.

3. Nutritional and phytochemicals composition 3.2. Amino acids

3.1. Nutrients
Indeed, the nutritional data are the important parameters to
defining the quality of a food. Table 3 shows the available nutritional
composition (moisture, protein, carbohydrate, fiber and ash) of edible
portion (pulp) of immature and mature Kundur fruit from different
countries. The data shows variation in these values. Such variations
might be due to soil composition and agricultural practices which
differ for each country. Moisture contents of both immature and
mature fruits are quite high accounting for more than 93% of edible
weight portion. These levels increase up to 96% as the fruit matures.
The amount of protein and ash are in the range of 0.3 to 0.5%,
respectively, of an edible portion of Kundur pulp. Fat content is low
having a contribution of less than 0.3% of edible weight portion, for all
countries.
Vitamins and minerals are the essential nutrients that are required
by the body for normal functions. Vitamins and minerals can be
obtained by daily intake of food. Table 4 summarizes the vitamin and
mineral contents of mature Kundur fruit from different sources. Kundur
fruit from Malaysia showed the highest vitamin C and riboflavin
contents, 68.00 and 0.31 mg/100 g of edible fruit portion, respectively
compared to the other listed countries. The fruits from other listed
countries also contain appreciable amounts of these vitamins. Among
the vitamins, thiamin is in the lowest amount ranging from 0.02 to
0.04 mg/100 g of edible portion. Potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) are the
major minerals present in Kundur fruit compared to the others, with
concentration ranging between 77–131 mg/100 g and 5–23 mg/100 g
of edible fruit, respectively, while the content of iron (Fe) is at the lowest
level. Both of these minerals (K and Ca) play a very beneficial role in
maintaining electrolytic balance of body fluid as well as in contributing
to alkalinizing the body (MacWillian, 2005).
Amino acid composition of different parts of Kundur fruit (pulp,
seed and skin) has been studied by Mingyu et al. (1995) for protein
amino acids and free amino acids (Table 5). Results show that total
protein and free amino acids are present in high amounts in seed, with
5714.017 and 264.366 mg/100 g fresh weight, respectively. Total
protein and free amino acids are the lowest in amount in the pulp,
having concentrations of 216.400 and 92.549 mg/100 g fresh weight,
respectively. Amino acid profile (Table 5) of Kundur fruit reveals that
it is a potential source of both essential and non-essential amino acids
for dietary purposes. Considerable amounts of γ-aminobutyric acid,
from 2.142 to 10.288 mg/100 g (fresh weight basis), are also detected
in different parts of Kundur fruit. Currently, there is continuing
interest in the use of γ-aminobutyric acid due to its multiple biological
activities and potential health benefits, especially in maintaining
mental and muscle functions (Monson, 2010).
3.3. Natural sugars and organic acids
Mazumder, Lerouge, Loutelier-Bourhis, Azeddine Driouich, and Ray
(2005) reported that Kundur fruit is an important source of water-
soluble polysaccharides. Polysaccharides that are present in Kundur
fruit juice are mainly arabinogalactans (Mazumder, Ray, & Ghosal,
2001). In another study Mazumder et al. (2004) reported that the
alcohol insoluble residues from Kundur fruit contain high amounts of
homogalacturonan and β-(1 → 4)-D-galactan together with a small
amount of acidic arabinan. According to Wills, Wong, Scriven, and
Greenfield (1984), natural sugars that are present in immature and
mature Kundur fruit pulp are glucose and fructose. The levels of both
glucose and fructose are reported to be reduced from 0.9% to 0.5% and
0.8% to 0.5%, respectively, as the fruit matured. While, for organic acid
content (malic and citric acid), the same authors reported that organic

Table 3
Proximate composition of immature and mature Kundur (Benincasa hispida) fruit (g/100 g of edible portion).

Immature fruit Mature fruit

Country Moisture Protein Carbohydrate Fiber Fat Ash Moisture Protein Carbohydrate Fiber Fat Ash References

Australia 93.80 0.70 2.70 2.10 0.00 0.70 96.80 0.30 1.10 1.50 0.00 0.30 Wills et al. (1984)
Florida 95.80 0.47 2.69 0.56 0.02 0.45 96.20 0.40 2.24 0.68 0.03 0.45 Morton (1971)
Malaysia N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 94.50 0.50 4.00 0.50 0.20 0.30 Tee, Noor, Azudin, and Idris (1997)
China N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 96.70 0.40 2.56 0.58 0.00 0.27 Mingyu et al. (1995)
USDA N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 96.10 0.40 3.00 0.50 0.20 0.30 Morton (1971)
FAO N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 96.20 0.50 2.30 0.60 0.10 0.30 FAO (1972)
2372 N.A.M. Zaini et al. / Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376

Table 4
Vitamins and minerals profile of mature Kundur (Benincasa hispida) fruit (mg/100 g of edible portion).

Vitamins Minerals

Country Vitamin C Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Sodium (Na) Potassium (K) Calcium (Ca) Iron (Fe) References

Australia 27.00 0.02 0.05 0.40 1.00 77.00 5.00 0.30 Wills et al. (1984)
Malaysia 68.00 0.02 0.31 0.20 2.00 131.00 11.00 0.20 Tee et al. (1997)
China 1.35 N.A. 0.02 0.46 0.14 81.86 23.32 0.49 Mingyu et al. (1995)
USDA 13.00 0.04 0.11 0.40 6.00 111.00 19.00 0.40 Morton (1971)
FAO 20.00 0.03 0.03 0.20 5.00 111.00 17.00 0.40 FAO (1972)

N.A.: data are not available from the sources.

acids, malic acid and citric acid, showed opposite trends, with their
contents increasing from 0.03% to 0.11% and from 0.01% to 0.07%,
respectively, as the fruit maturity progressed.
3.4. Volatile compounds
Some volatile compounds have been identified in Kundur fruit with
aliphatic alcohols and carbonyl compounds being the major class (Maarse,
1991). The identified compounds are known as (E)-2-hexenal, n-hexanal,
n-hexyl formate, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal and (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal. Some
other detected volatiles are (Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-2-heptenal, and 1-octen-
3-ol (Maarse, 1991; Sikorski, 2006; Wu, Liou, Chang, & Chiang, 1987). The
analysis of the volatile compounds of beverages from this fruit shows the
presence of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3,5-trimethyl-
pyrazine, 2-methyl pyrazine and 2-ethyl-5-methyl pyrazine (Sikorski,
2006; Wu et al., 1987). Maarse (1991) claimed that the beverage prepared
from this vegetable has a different aroma, and the analysis of the volatile
compounds indicated the presence of pyrazine, which is believed to be
formed by the Maillard reaction during the extraction of juices.
Mingyu et al. (1995) identified 18 volatile compounds using GC/MS
with 2-aminohexanoic acid, 2-amino-3-cyano-propanoic acid, 2-
aminobutanoic acid, 2-amino-4-hexenoic acid and 3-cyclohexenyl-
1-glycine being considered as unusual substances.
isomultiflorenol), sterols (lupeol, lupeol acetate, β-sitosterol), glyco-
sides, saccharides, carotenes, β-sitosterin, tannins and uronic acid (Gill,
Dhiman, Bajwa, Sharma, & Sood, 2010; Wollenweber, Faure, & Gaydou,
1991; Yoshizumi et al., 1998). Among the active triterpenes and sterols,
two triterpenes, alnusenol and multiflorenol, have the ability to potently
inhibit the histamine release (Yoshizumi et al., 1998).
Regarding the chemical composition of Kundur fruit seed, Martin
(1984) suggested that Kundur fruit seed is perhaps one of the best
cucurbit seed oil sources for the hot and humid tropics. It is further
supported by our recent study (Sew et al., 2010) that Kundur seed oil
contains a high proportion of an essential fatty acid, linoleic acid
(C18:2 ω-6), accounting for 67.37% of the total fatty acids. Potential
health benefits of essential fatty acids are widely recognized. Other
prominent fatty acids present are palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0)
and oleic (C18:1) acids. The oil from the seeds is soporific, good for the
brain and liver, and also useful in the treatment of syphilis (Qadrie,
Hawisa, Khan, Samuel, & Anandan, 2009). Besides, Lee, Choi, and Kim
(2005) reported that the seed also contains small amounts of a
triterpenoid known as isomultiflorenol, proteins such as trigonelline,
coffearin, and osmotin (Shih et al., 2001), steroids such as β-sitosterol
and stigmast-5-ene-3-beta-ol, alkaloids such as 5-methylcytosine,
and triterpenoids such as cucurbitacin B (Uchikoba, Yonezawa, &
Kaneda, 1998).

3.5. Miscellaneous compounds

4. Health benefits and therapeutic uses

In addition, other phytochemical constituents reported in Kundur

Thousands of plant species are used for medication in modern and
fruit reveal the presence of triterpenes (alnusenol, multiflorenol,
traditional medicine systems and most of the world populations use
them to cure acute and chronic health problems. For the last few
Table 5
decades, the medicinal value of plants has been recognized. The
Amino acid contents (mg/100 g fresh weight basis) in different parts of mature Kundur
(Benincasa hispida) fruit. extracts from many plants contain not only minerals and primary
Source: Mingyu et al. (1995). metabolites but also a diverse array of secondary metabolites, mostly
with antioxidant properties (Akinmoladun et al., 2007).
Amino acid Protein amino acid Free amino acid
Plants belonging to Benincasa species have been used as therapeutic
Pulp Seed Skin Pulp Seed Skin agents for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, diuresis diseases, urinary
Ornithine 7.002 6.946 N.A. 3.787 6.127 1.974 infection, chronic inflammatory disorders (Grover & Rathi, 1994; Lee
Aspartate 37.041 559.282 99.860 11.203 138.565 12.698 et al., 2005), epilepsy, peptic ulcer and hemorrhages from internal
Threonine 7.352 171.905 34.078 20.889* 3.727 16.747
organs (Bhalodia et al., 2009). Research by Kumar and Vimalavathini
Serine 8.487 253.473 45.395 10.184 3.447
Glutamate 54.083 990.661 112.985 25.227 10.549 46.139 (2004) reported Kundur fruit as an important ingredient of “Kusmanda
Proline 3.502 137.955 35.117 N.A. N.A. N.A. lehyam” (Ayurvedic medicine). It has been widely used for the
Glycine 6.109 324.061 46.829 0.219 0.484 0.468 treatment of epilepsy and other nervous disorders (Aslokar, Kakkar, &
Alanine 8.507 244.525 54.288 1.623 3.047 12.056 Chakre, 1992). The juice and extract of Kundur fruit revealed significant
Cysteine 1.505 40.186 2.755 0.715 3.513 1.013
Valine 7.128 200.942 39.933 1.087 3.673 2.448
anti-ulcer, anti-depressant and diuretic activities (Mingyu et al., 1995),
Methionine N.A. 30.883 3.711 0.410 2.161 0.501 and provide protection against histamine-induced bronchospasm
Isoleucine 8.360 191.723 39.535 3.431 10.713 6.350 (Kumar & Ramu, 2002). In addition, the old Korean medical encyclo-
Leucine 9.548 348.316 62.567 0.714 3.841 1.794 pedia, the ‘Donguibogam’, reveals that this fruit is efficient against
Tyrosine 4.433 70.980 25.912 0.423 1.600 0.719
dropsy, diseases related to liver, leucorrhea, and good for detoxication of
Phenylalanine 8.221 267.765 46.566 4.072 8.823 4.867
Lysine 8.921 261.668 60.646 0.752 2.269 1.634 minerals, curing of fever, and to strengthen the functions of the bladder,
Histidine 6.009 133.558 24.170 1.134 3.497 2.539 and the small and large intestines (Choi et al., 2001).
Tryptophan N.A. N.A. N.A. 1.079 2.919 2.017
Arginine 26.514 747.042 64.388 13.642 43.142 24.036
γ-Aminobutyric acid 3.673 9.869 N.A. 2.142 5.532 10.288 5. Pharmacological and medicinal properties
Total 216.400 5714.017 798.735 92.549 264.366 152.059

N.A.: data are not available from the sources. Described below are some important pharmacological and medicinal
⁎ Total of threonine and serine. properties of Kundur fruit as highlighted in different studies.
 N.A.M. Zaini et al. / Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376
Fig. 5. Chemical structure of Kundur (Benincasa hispida) fruit phenolics.
Source: Du, Zhang & Ito (2005).
5.1. Antioxidant activity
The therapeutic effects of several plants and vegetables, being used
in traditional medicine, are usually attributed to their antioxidant
compounds (Oluwaseun & Ganiyu, 2008). Antioxidants have been
suggested to reduce oxidative damage including damage from lipid
peroxidation, and therefore prevent various diseases such as diabetic
complications (Lim, 2007), atherosclerosis, cancer, aging, and inflam-
mation (Huang, Huang, Tso, Tsai, & Chang, 2004). Some in vitro and in
vivo studies conducted on Kundur fruit revealed that its juice and extract
has antioxidant activity especially on human tissues like liver and brain
(Huang et al., 2004; Roy, Ghosh, & Guha, 2007).
A study by Huang et al. (2004), on the in vitro antioxidant activity of
Kundur fruit demonstrated that the seed has the highest capacity for
inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation and scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-
picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals compared to the peel, pulp and core of
the fruit. This may be due to higher total phenolic contents and
superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the seeds. In addition, the
authors indicated that the fruit may provide protective effects against
the development of atherosclerosis and also exhibits anticarcinogenic
effects in vivo.
Recent findings by Bhalodia et al. (2009) showed that Kundur fruit
has a potent antioxidant activity on the kidney. According to this study
on an albino rat, Kundur fruit reduced renal damage after ischemia or
reperfusion injury of the kidney. Ischemia or reperfusion of the kidney is
the major cause of acute renal failure and may be involved in chronic
renal problems. In ischemia or reperfusion injury, reactive oxygen
species (ROS) are capable of reacting with lipids leading to lipid
peroxidation of biological membranes, which may result in cell death
(Chatterjee et al., 2000; Singh, Chander, & Chopra, 2004). A study by
Bhalodia et al. (2009), suggested that this prevention may be due to
radical scavenging activity of Kundur fruit. Another study on Kundur
fruit related to the protection of kidney conducted by Mingyu et al.
(1995) has shown that Kundur fruit has significant protection and
blocking effects upon the kidney injury caused by mercury chloride.
The antioxidant attributes of Kundur fruit might be ascribed to the
presence of polyphenolics such as flavones (iso-vitexin) (Huang et al.,
2004; Yoshizumi et al., 1998).Du, Zhang, and Ito (2005) using high-speed
countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) reported the identification of
three phenolic compounds (astilbin, catechin and naringenin) in
Kundur (Fig. 5), however more studies should be done on isolation
and identification of potential antioxidants in this medicinally and
nutritionally important fruit.
5.2. ACE-inhibitor
Huang et al. (2004) examined that Kundur fruit pulp, peel, seed
and core exhibited angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
2373
activity in vitro. Angiotensin-1 is converted to angiotensin-2 in the
presence of ACE. According to Bhalodia et al. (2009), angiotensin-2
stimulates intracellular formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
such as superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide that led to kidney
damage. Huang et al. (2004) demonstrated that the inhibition of ACE
activity by Kundur fruit may be due to its high phenolic contents and
superoxide dismutase activity. This may provide the pharmacological
basis for its long time uses in the treatment of high blood pressure in
traditional Chinese medicine.
5.3. Alzheimer disease treatment
Plants have been considered to have nootropic effects by functioning
as stimulants for central nervous system, improved memory and
attention, or against epilepsy or insanity (Maciuk, Bouchet, Mazars, Um,
& Anton, 2002). Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder
which is characterized by the loss of learning, memory and other cognitive
functions (Roy, Ghosh, & Guha, 2008). Increase in free radical generation
(oxidative stress), especially in elderly, is an important factor implicated in
neuronal damage (Cantuti, Shukitt-Hale, & Joseph, 2000; Pratico &
Delanty, 2000) which leads to this disease. Kumar and Nirmala (2003)
and Roy et al. (2007) studied the possible nootropic effects of Kundur fruit.
Roy et al. (2008) found that at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight, Kundur
fruit seemed to have a protective effect on colchicine-induced experi-
mental rat model of Alzhermer's disease possibly through the presence of
both vitamin E and β-carotene protecting rat neurons against oxidative
stress.
5.4. Anti-compulsive effect
Girdhar, Wanjari, Prajapati, and Girdhar (2010) found that metha-
nolic extract of Kundur fruit exhibits considerable anti-compulsive
effect in the marble-burying behavior test in mice. The same author
reported the presence of tryptophan in Kundur fruit that may be
responsible for enhancing the biosynthesis of serotonin to facilitate
anti-compulsive effect.
5.5. Anti-ulcer
Grover et al. (2001) and Rachchh and Jain (2009) examined in vivo
anti-ulcer activity of Kundur fruit extract in rats. A study by Grover
et al. (2001), which compared different extraction methods, showed
that the fresh juice, supernatant and alcohol extract considerably
lowered the mean ulcer size as compared to control. The results
revealed that supernatant portion of the whole fresh fruit is more
effective than the whole fresh juice, indicating that the active anti-
ulcerogenic component of Kundur fruit is water-soluble. According to
Rachchh and Jain (2009), petroleum ether and methanol extracts of
Kundur fruit produced a significant reduction in ulcer index (P b 0.05)
when analyzed using different models (ethanol-induced gastric
mucosal damage, pylorus ligated (PL) gastric ulcers, and cold
restraint-stress (CRS)-induced gastric ulcers. However, methanol
extract showed better protection (67%) compared to petroleum
ether extract (49%). The results also suggest the protection of gastric
ulcers induced by PL that appears to be produced by the suppression
of pepsin levels and strengthening of mucosal barrier, based on the
reduction in protein levels with a corresponding increase in
carbohydrate level leading to a marked rise in mucin activity (Grover
et al., 2001). These findings are further supported by Shetty et al.
(2008) who studied the healing effect of Kundur fruit extract on
indomethacin-induced ulcer. They found that there was an apparent
decrease in ulcer index in rats when treated with Kundur fruit extract,
and this might be linked to the presence of four terpenes, two sterols
and a flavonoid C-glycoside in the fruit.
2374 N.A.M. Zaini et al. / Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376

5.6. Anti-inflammatory
Gill et al. (2010) investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of
Kundur fruit seed. Chandrababu and Umamaheshwari (2002) and
Grover and Rathi (1994) studied the anti-inflammatory properties of
Kundur fruit rind and fruit juices, respectively. Gill et al. (2010)
suggested that free radical scavenging activity of Kundur fruit seed
might have been responsible for the reduction of inflammation in the
carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats (Cuzzocrea, Riley, Caputi, &
Salvemini, 2001). The anti-inflammatory effects of Kundur fruit might
be related to the presence of bioactive terpenoids (Shetty et al., 2008).
According to Miro (1995), triterpenoids isolated from various species
of cucurbit family possessed anti-inflammatory activity.
5.7. Anti-obesity
Kumar and Vimalavathini (2004), revealed the possible anorectic
activity of Kundur fruit for the first time, most probably mediated
through the central nervous system without affecting the gastric
emptying. Anorectics are the situation where reduction of appetite to
eating occurs. The study found that the reduction of food intake by
mice did not have any relation with gastric emptying, where, gastric
emptying of food has a casual relationship with overeating and
obesity (Duggan & Booth, 1986). Kundur fruit can be used as one of
the potential anti-obesity agents due to reduction in food intake as
suggested by Kumar and Vimalavathini (2004) and Zhang (1996).
5.8. Anti-diarrheal agent
According to Mathad et al. (2005), Kundur fruit was found to be a
potential anti-diarrheal agent when studied against castor oil, where it
showed a significant reduction in the incident and severity of diarrhea in
experimental rat models. Some of the oils such as castor oil or its active
component ricinoleic acid induce permeability changes in mucosal fluid
and electrolyte transport that results in a hypersecretory response and
diarrhea (Ammon, Thomas, & Phillips, 1974; Gaginella, Stewart, Olson, &
Bass, 1975). The results showed a significant reduction in the frequency
of defecation and the wetness of the fecal droppings when compared
with untreated/control rats (Mathad et al., 2005). The authors also
found that Kundur fruit extract suppressed the propulsion of charcoal
meal, thereby increasing the absorption of water and electrolytes. The
mechanism involved in the anti-diarrheal activity of Kundur fruit
extracts might be ascribed to the inhibition of intestinal peristalsis and
gastrointestinal mobility (Mathad et al., 2005), however, further
research is needed to identify the active compounds and their specific
mechanisms of action.
5.9. Other therapeutic uses
Biological activities other than the ones mentioned above are also
exhibited by Kundur fruit. Lee et al. (2005) found that there is a potential
angiogenic inhibitor in Kundur fruit seed against tumor growth and
obesity. Furthermore, a latest study by Qadrie et al. (2009) has shown that
Kundur fruit seed possesses potent anti-nociceptive and anti-pyretic
effects and can be used in the management of fever and pain. Besides,
Morton (1971) reported that the seed and seed oil have been in use to
expel tapeworms, while ash was usually applied to painful wounds
(Burkill, 1935; Morton, 1971). Some common medicinal and pharmaco-
logical properties of different parts of Kundur fruit have also been
summarized in Table 6.
6. Commercial food uses
In addition to having high nutritional value and impressive
medicinal properties, Kundur fruit is also very important for its uses
as food. According to Morton (1971), the fruit has great demand in
Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian communities. In China, the Kundur
fruit is sold in the markets as whole and sliced, while the flesh is cooked
in soup or stews (Walters & Decker-Walters, 1989; Zee & Hui, 1981).
Additionally, the mature Kundur with quite a large size is used
preferentially by Chinese as “soup pot” where the stem-end is carefully
cut to serve as a lid, the center cleaned out and the Kundur fruit is filled
with a mixture of soups of interest (Morton, 1971). Furthermore, Wu
et al. (1987) reported that Kundur fruit in Taiwan is used as an
ingredient for candy, jam and also beverages. In Malaysia, India and
Cuba, Kundur fruit is used in curries or is coated with sugar or syrup and
eaten as a sweet (Mazumder et al., 2005; Morton, 1971). Due to high
nutritional value and its growing demand, it could be suggested that
Kundur fruit might be explored for uses in different food commodities
such as jams, juices, beverages, cakes and ice creams for value-addition.
7. Future prospects
Currently, the uses of Kundur fruit due to its potential health
benefits to humans are gaining recognition by researchers. The Asian
region communities especially the older generation usually eat this
fruit raw and cooked without knowing the medicinal effects
associated with it. Although some preliminary data on nutritional
value of Kundur fruit is available, there is lack of information
especially on nutritional profile of other parts of Kundur fruit such
as seeds, skin and core which could be investigated. Especially, there is
much need to characterize the Kundur fruit seed lipids for detailed
physicochemical characteristics, and tocopherols and sterol profiles
and other bioactives antioxidant components. Functional biopeptides
from Kundur seed protein should also be isolated and characterized.
As this fruit apparently contains appreciable amounts of thickening
agents; a potential exists for exploration of food-grade thickeners
from Kundur for commercial applications.
Although several laboratories have already conducted preliminary
studies on anti-ulcer, anti-obesity, anti-diarrheal, anti-angiogenic,
ACE inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and anti-pyretic
effects of Kundur fruit, it is important to identify, isolate and elucidate

Table 6
Some common medicinal and pharmacological properties of different parts of Kundur (Benincasa hispida) fruit.

Part Medicinal and pharmacological properties References

Pulp Anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-depressant, anti-histaminic, antioxidant,
anti-compulsive, anti-diarrheal and anti-obesity activities; beneficial effects in allergic
inflammation, insanity and epilepsy; preventive and curative effects in nervous
disorder, intestinal worms, jaundice, diabetic, leucorrhoea, stomach and bile problems;
potential uses as diuretic, laxative, aphrodisiac, clearing heat and detoxificant; used for
Alzheimer disease treatment, facial eruption, inhibition of angiotensin converting
enzyme (ACE); nootropic effects.
Seed Anti-angiogenic, anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-nociceptive, and anti-pyretic activities;
soporific potential, and beneficial effects for brain and liver; used for the treatment of
syphilis, cardiovascular diseases, inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE),
expel intestinal worm and softening or soothing the skin.
Peel Antioxidant activity; inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE).
Grover and Rathi (1994), Mingyu et al. (1995), Park, Kim, Sung, and Lee (2009),
Huang et al. (2004), Ramesh, Gayathri, Appa Rao, Prabhakar, and Seshagiri Rao
(1989), Raveendra Retnam and Martin (2006), Roy et al. (2008),; Mathad et al.
(2005), Kumar and Vimalavathini (2004), Morton (1971); Girdhar et al. (2010),
Roy et al. (2007),; Kumar and Ramu (2002).
Qadrie et al. (2009), Lee et al. (2005), Choi, Lee, and Kim (2003), Huang et al.
(2004), Raveendra Retnam and Martin (2006).
Huang et al. (2004).
 N.A.M. Zaini et al. / Food Research International 44 (2011) 2368–2376
the structures of novel bioactive compounds present in this fruit. The
mechanisms involved in all such bioactivities should also be studied
by conducting more laboratory research and in vivo clinical trials.
Further research on this fruit especially on other parts of this fruit
plant such as leaves, flower, gum and root could also be carried out to
identify the potential bioactive compounds that contribute to its
health benefits.
8. Conclusions
Medical treatments, using plant-based natural sources have been
studied extensively. A lot of plants and herbs have already been identified
to have potential for therapeutic applications. Kundur fruit is one of the
fruit vegetables currently gaining popularity among researchers due to its
potential health benefits. High nutritional value and functional properties
such as antioxidant, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, ACE inhibitory, anti-
obesity, anti-compulsive, anti-diarrheal and anti-angiogenic associated
with this fruit suggest its potential medicinal and pharmaceutical uses.
Besides, this fruit also has bioactives and therapeutic agents with multiple
biological activities that are beneficial to human health. Overall, we
concluded that Kundur fruit can be explored as a potential source of high-
value components for functional food and nutraceutical industry.
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