A review on Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)

 

Pritesh Shah*, Swati Dhande, Dr. Yadunath Joshi, Dr. Vilasrao Kadam

Department of Pharmacology, Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Pharmacy, Sector -8, C.B.D., Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614, INDIA

 

 

ABSTRACT:

Cucumis sativus is plant which is widely grown throughout the world. Cucumber is mainly consumed as raw fruit in various parts of the world. Cucumber plant has various medicinal values which are described in Ayurveda. In Ayurveda it is said to be used for burning sensation, swollen eyes, anuria, dermatitis, burns, skin whitening, emollient, and also as moisturizer. In India-China raw ripe fruit is used in treatment of dysentery in children’s. Cucumber plant is also potent anthelmintic. Seed oil is used in treatment of insomnia and frontal headache. Mainly flavonoids, glycosides and tannins are responsible for various activities in plants. This article mainly covers nutritive aspects, traditional uses, various chemical constituents and pharmacology of cucumber.

 

KEYWORDS: Ayurveda, Cucumber, Cucumis sativus, Cucurbitaceae, Pharmacology.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Plant are one of the most important source of medicines, large number of drugs are derived from plants, like Atropine from Atropa belladonna, Morphine from Papaver somniferum, Ephedrine from Ephedra vulgaris, Reserpine from Rawolfia serpentine. The medicinal plants are rich in secondary metabolites and essential oils which are also of therapeutic importance. The use of plant as herbal medicines is very old and it was used by Assyrians (4000BC), Sumerians (3500BC), Indians (3500BC), Chinese (3000BC) and Egyptians (2500BC). India is one of the main centres where plants have been used for medicinal purposes, and this has been documented in Rigveda and Ayurveda (4500BC-1600BC). Charaka the famous Indian physician described the use and application of 350 plants in his book “Charak Samnita.” [1]The important advantages of using medicinal plants are they are safe along with being economical, effective and their ease of availability.[2] WHO has estimated that 80% of the people rely on traditional medicine for primary health care needs. Of the 119 plants based drugs used today by modern medicines 74% are from plants traditionally used as herbal cures. [1]

 

Botanical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Mangoliophyta                                                  

Class: Mangoliopsida

Order: Cucurbitales

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Genus: Cucumis

Species: C. sativus

 

 

 

 

Other Names

English: Cucumber

Chinese: Huang Gua

Hindi: Kheera

Marathi: Tavsini

Malayalam: Vellari

Sanskrit: Sakusa

 

Morphology

Cucumis is a genus of twining, tendril bearing plant belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. Cucurmis sativus (C. sativus) commonly called as “Cucumber” is believed to be originated in Asia and it exist as wild cucumbers in India and closely related species found in eastern Himalayan.[3] Cucumber is an annual monoecious herb with trailing or climbing, 4-5 angled stems up to 5m long, sparsely branching with simple tendrils up to 30cm long. The plant is covered with scabridulous hairs and root system is extensive superficial. Leaves are alternate, simple and borne on petiole 5-20cm long. Lamina is triangular ovate in outline, 7-20cm ×7-15 cm, plamately 3-7 lobed, deeply cordate at base, acte on apex, toothed, hispidulous or scabridulous on both surfaces. Flowers are unisexual, regular, pentamerous, sepals narrowly triangular, 0.5-1cm long, corolla widely campanuluate, lobes up to 2cm long, yellow. Staminate flowers occur in 3-7 flowered fascicles with pedicel 0.5-2cm long. Pistillate flowers are solitary, with pedicel short and thick up to 0.5cm long, lengthening in fruit up to 5cm, ovary inferior, ellipsoid, muricate, 2-5cm long, prickly hairy or warthy, stigma 3-lobed. The fruit is roughly cylindrical, elongated with tapered ends, and may be as large as 60cm long and 10cm in diameters. Fruit encloses seeds and it develops from flowers. [4]

 

 

Table No. 1: Food composition of raw cucumber fruit per 1×10-1kg edible portion was reported as;

Moisture 9.673×10-2kg

Energy 12kJ (52kcal)

Proteins 5.9×10-4kg

Fat 1.6×10-4kg

Ash 3.6×10-4kg

Carbohydrate 2.16×10-3kg

Total dietary fibre 7×10-1kg

Total sugars 1.38×10-3kg

Glucose 6.3×10-4kg

Fructose 7.5×10-4kg

Starch 8×10-5kg

Potassium 1.36×10-4kg

Calcium 1.4×10-5kg

Magnesium 1.2×10-5kg

Iron 2.2×10-kg

Phosphorous 2.1×10-5kg

Sodium 2×10-6kg

Zinc 1.7×10-7kg

Copper 7.1×10-8kg

Manganese 7.3×10-8kg

Fluorine 1.3×10-9kg

Selenium 1×10-10kg

Vitamin C 3.2×10-6kg

Thiamin 3.1×10-8kg

Riboflavin 2.5×10-8kg

Niacin 3.7×10-8kg

Pantothenic acid 2.4×10-7kg

Vitamin B 5.1×10-8kg

Total folate 1.4×10-10kg

Vitamin A 4×10-10kg RAE

Vitamin A 72 IU

γ-tocopherol 2×10-8kg

Vitamin K 7.2×10-10kg

 α-tocopherol 3×10-8kg

Choline 5.7×10-6kg

Betaine 1×10-7kg

β-carotene 3.1×10-8kg

α-carotene 8×10-9kg

β-cryptoxanthin 1.8×10-8kg

Lutein + zeaxanthin 1.6×10-8kg

Total saturated fatty acids 1.3×10-8kg

Total mono-unsaturated fatty acid 2×10-9kg

Total poly-unsaturated fatty acid 3.4×10-9kg

Tryotophan 7×10-9kg

Threonine 1.2×10-9kg

Isoleucine 1.2×10-8kg

Leucine 2.5×10-8kg

Lysine 2.5×10-8kg

Methionine 1.2×10-8kg

Cystine 7×10-9kg

Phenylalanine 3.1×10-8kg

Tyrosine 2×10-9kg

Valine 1.2×10-8kg

Arginine 3.1×10-8kg

Histidine 2×10-9kg

Alanine 3.1×10-8kg

Aspartic acid 3.7×10-8kg

Glutamic acid 2.04×10-7kg

Glycine 2.5×10-8kg

Proline 1.2×10-8kg

Serine 2.5×10-8kg[5]

 

 

 

Chemical constituents

The fruit contains following chemical constituents,α –linolenic acid, Caffeic acid, Citrulline, Cucurbitin B, β amyrin, β sistasterol, Chlorogenic acid, Cucurbitin A, Cucurbitin C, Cucurbitin E, Ferulic acid, Folacin, Hexanal, Pentadec-cis-8-en-1-al, Mevalonic acid, Rubidium, Strontium, γ-gluamyl-beta-pyrazole-1-yl-alanine, Hexen-(2)-al-(1), Propanal, Myristic acid, Squalene, Zirconium[6]

Food composition of raw Cucumber fruit contains following which is described in Table No. 1

 

Dry seeds of Cucumis sativus were found to contain the following chemical constituents,1, 3 diamino-propane, 2, 4-methylene-choleststerol 24-beta-ethyl-25(27)-dehydroathosterol, 24-methyl-cholest-7-en-3-beta-ol 25(27)-dehydro-chondrillasterol, 24-methylene-24-dihydro-lanosterol, 24-methylene-24-dihydro-lanosterol, 24-methylene-cycloartenol, 7-dehdro-avenasterol, Avenasterol, Butyric acid, Cucurbitins, Cycloeucalenol, Gramisertol, Lupeol, Multiflorineol, Phosphatidyl-choline, Phosphatidyl-glycerol, Sermidine, Stigmast-7,25-trien-3-beta-ol, Taraxerol, Stellasterol, 22-dihydrobrassicasterol, 24-methyl-25(27)-dehydrocycloartanol, 25(27)-dehydro-fungisterol 24-epsilon-etyl-25(27) dehydrolophenol 24-methyl-lathosterol, 24-methylene-24-dihydro-parkeol, 25(27)-dehydro-poriferasterol, α amyrin, β-pyrazole-1-yl-alanine, Camperterol, Cycloartenol, Euphol, Isimultiflorineol, Lysolecithin, Obtusifoliol, Phosphatidyl-ethnolamine, Phosphatidyl-inositol, Stigmast-7,22,25-trien-3-beta-ol, Tirucallol[6]

 

In other studies seeds of Cucumis sativus were also found to contain, Albumins, Malate synthase, Citrate synthase, Catalase, Globulins, Isocitratelyase, Malate dehydrogenase, Crotonase. [7]

 

In other studies seeds of Cucumis sativus were found to contain gibberellins A1, A3, A4, and A7 with A1being predominant. [8]

 

Leaves contains following chemical constituents, 22-dihrdro-spinasterol, isoorientin, meloside-A, stigmast-7-en-3-beta-ol. [6]

 

Traditional uses of Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)

In Ayurveda several medicinal properties have been attributed to Cucumber. Different parts of plant like seeds and leaves have been used, leaves are boiled and mixed with cumin seeds which are roasted and powdered and are administered for throat infections. [4][9]It is used as refrigerant and also it is given in remitted and inflammatory fevers. [10]Cucumber is used for thirst, bleeding disorder, anuria, burning disorder. Cold drink prepared from seeds is used in summer for soothing effect. Seed oil is used in burning, insomnia and frontal headache.[11]The cucumber fruit used as demulcent, depurative, emollient, purgative and resolvent. The fresh fruit is used internally for the treatment for blemished skin, heat rash and externally it is used for burns, sores, wounds, and also used as cosmetic for softening, moisturizing and whitening skin. Raw cucumber fruit is also used in treatment of coeliac disease, and in Indo-China raw fruit is used for treatment of dysentery in children. The seeds are used as diuretic, tonic, anthelmintic and also as taeniacide. The leaf juice is emetic and is used to treat dyspepsia in children. A decoction of root is used as diuretic. [4]

 

Pharmacology of Cucumis sativus

Ascorbic acid and caffeic acid are two compounds in cucumbers which cause water retention and this explains why cucumbers are applied topically for swollen eyes, burns and dermatitis. [4]

 

Antioxidant and analgesic activity

Aqueous extract of C. sativus fruit showed maximum antioxidant and analgesic effect. The analgesic effect was compared to Diclofenac sodium (50mg/kg) and free radical scavenging was compared to ascorbic acid, Butylatedhydroxyl anisole (BHA). The presence of flavonoids and tannins in extract may be responsible for free radical scavenging and analgesic effects. [12]

 

Anticancer activity

Cucurbitin-1, a cell permeable, bitter triterpenoid compound from C. sativus displayed anti-proliferative and antitumour properties both in-vitro and in-vivo studies. [13]In other study Cucurbitins also exhibited wide ranging in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological effects like purgative, anti-inflammatory and anti-fertility activities. [14] Another studies showed that Cucurbitin-1 may be potent chemo-protective agent for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with anti-invasion and anoikis-sensitizing avtivities. Exposure of Cucurbitin-1 to nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in-vitro clonogenicity and in-vivo tumorigenicity caused decreased in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. [15]

 

Skin whitening and Anti-wrinkle activity

Methanol extracts of cucumber leaves and stems inhibited melanin production in melanoma B16 cells. The extracts decreased tyrosinase expression at protein level. Two compounds were isolated Leutin and (+)-(1 R,2S,5 R,6S)-2,6-di-(4’hydroxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane and were found to suppress melanogenesis with IC50=170.7µm and IC50=270.8µg respectively. In addition leutin down regulated tyrosinase expression levels and latter compound only weakly reduced tyrosinase expression. This suggested that leutin as active component present in leaves to be potentially useful in skin whitening agent. [16]

 

The cucumber juice also exhibited potent anti-hyaluronidase and anti-elastase activity with IC50=20.98µg/ml and 6.14µg/ml respectively. And content of ascorbic acid was found to be 3.5% which rationalized the use of C. sativus as potent anti-wrinkle agent in cosmetic products.[17]

 

Hypoglycemic activity

A plant extract of C. sativus showed anti-hypoglycemic effect in rabbits and it caused significant decrease in glycemic decrease. [18][19] α-galactosidase was reported in cucumber seedlings. α-galactosidase also helps to prevent flatulence. [20]

 

Anthelmentic activity

The ethanolic extract of C. sativus seeds exhibited potent activity against tapeworms which was comparable to the effect of piperazine citrate. [21]

 

Anti-microbial activity

The amine fraction of an extract of 10-day old cucumber seedling showed inhibitory effect on Staphylcoccus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This activity was due to polyamine spermidine in the extract. [22]

 

Anti-ulcerogenicavtivity

The methanolic extract of C. sativus seeds showed ulcerative index inhibition and also showed maximum antioxidant potential. The ulcerative index inhibition in rats in Pyloric ligation and Water immersion stress was found to be 52.5% and 62.7% respectively at higher dose. The seeds also exhibited reduction of gastric acid volume, free and total acidity. The anti-ulcer activity in seeds was may be due to its antioxidant activity. [23]

 

Hypolipidemic activity

The oral administration of pectin extract from fruit of C. sativus at dose of 5g/kg displayed significant hypolipedemic action in normal as well as cholesterol fed animals. Concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and free fatty acids were found to be significantly reduced in the serum and tissues. Activity of HMG-CoA reductase was found to be enhanced in the study. [24]

 

Wound healing activity

Cream formulation of aqueous extract of C. sativus resulted in significant decrease in wound area, epithelization period and scar width, whereas rate of wound contraction significance increased when compared to control group animals. Wound healing property may be due to presence of flavonoids and antioxidant activity of the C. sativus. The formulation when applied topically did not show any symptom of skin irritation. [25]

 

Clinical study

There was clinical study conducted in patients with hypertension who were treated with C.sativus vine compound tablet. In this study 389 patients were divided randomly and 241 were treated with C. sativus vine compound tablet whilst 148 patients were treated with hypotension drug as control. The total effective rate with marked improvement was 63.1% and 81.7% in treated group and 39.2% and 67% in control group respectively. The marked effective rate is for decreases in blood pressure and total effective were 52.7%, 90.9% and 58.1% and 92.6% respectively. C. sativus vine compound tablet caused reduction in blood pressure and markedly increases the coronary blood flow and improved myocardial contraction in animals. No toxic effects were reported by C. sativus vine compound tablet on animals. C. sativus vine compound tablet can be used as safe, effective medicine for treatment of essential hypertension. [26]

 

Toxicity

Acute toxicity studies of aqueous extract of C. sativus fruit showed no sign and symptoms such as restlessness, respiratory distress, diarrhea, convulsions and coma and it was found safe up to 5000mg/kg. [25]

 

CONCLUSION:

Cucumber is popular known food and with known therapeutic uses described in ayurveda. In this article various therapeutic uses with proved pharmacological activity in animals have been mentioned. Though compounds with diverse structure have been mentioned but significant amount of work needs to be done on biological activity and possible applications of these compounds and extensive investigation needs to be done on pharmaco-dynamics, kinetics, and therapeutic utility to combat various disease needs to exploited and clinical trials are to be done to confirm their activity in humans.

 

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3.        Sebastian P et al. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melo (C. Melo) have numerous wild relatives in Asia and Australia, and the sister species of melon is from Australia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 107(32); 2010: 14269-14273.

4.        Lim TK. Edible and Non-edible Medicinal Plants Vol-2, Fruits. Springer. pp. 239-249.

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7.        Köller W, Frevert J, Kindl H. Albumins, glyoxysomal enzymes and globulins in dry seeds of Cucumis sativus: qualitative and quantitative analysis. Hoppe-Seyler’s Z Physiol. Chem. 360(2); 1979: 167-176.

8.        Hemphill Jr et al. Isolation of novel conjugated gibberellins from Cucumis Sativus. Canadian Journal Biochemistry. 51(12); 1973: 1647-1653.

9.        Nadkarni AK, Nadkarni KM. Indian Materia Medica Vol-1. Popular Prakashan pvt ltd; 2005. p.403-405.

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11.     Gogte VM. Ayurvedic Pharmacology and Therapeutic Uses of Medicinal Plants. Mumbai: Chaukhamba Publisher; 2000. p.663

12.     Kumar D et al. Free radical scavenging and analgesic activities of Cucumis Sativus L. Fruit extract. Journal of Young Pharmacist. 2(4); 2010: 365-368.

13.     Michelle AB et al. Discovery of JSI-124 (cucurbitacin-1), a selective janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway inhibitor with potent antitumor activity aganist human and murine cancer in mice. Cancer Research. 63(6); 2003: 1270-1279.

14.     Chen JC et al. Cucurbitacins and Cucurbitane glycosides: structure and biological activities. Natural Products Report. 22(3); 2005: 386-399.

15.     Daisy MSY et al. Cucurbitin-1 elicts anoikis sensitization, inhibits cellular invasion and in-vivo tumor formation ability of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Carcinogenesis. 30(12); 2009: 2085-2094.

16.     Kai H, Baba M, Okuyama T. Inhibitory effect of Cucumis Sativus on melanin production in melanoma B16 cells by down regulation of tyrosinase expression. Planta Medica. 74(15); 2008: 1785-1788.

17.     Nema NK et al. Cucumis sativus fruit potential antioxidant, antihyaluronidase and anti-elastase agent. Archives Dermatological Research. 303(4); 2011: 247-252.

18.     Roman-Ramos R, Flores-Saenz JL, Alarcon-Aguilar FJ. Anti-hyperglycemic effect of some edible plants. Journal of  Ethanopharmacology. 48(1); 1995: 25-32.

19.     E-Hernandez G et al. Studies on hypoglycemic activity of mexican plants. Proc. West. Pharmacol Soc. 45; 2002: 118-124.

20.     Stano J et al. Demonstration of activity of α galactosidase secreated by Cucumis sativus cells. Acta Biotechnologica. 21(1); 2001: 83-87.

21.     Elisha EE et al. The anthelmentic activity of some Iraqi plants of Cucurbitaceae. Pharmaceutical Biology. 23(3); 1987: 153-157.

22.     Khawola AF and Khuther DS. Antimicrobial activity of amine fraction of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) extract. Mircen Journal of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 3(3); 1987: 275-279.

23.     Gill NS et al. Evaluation of antioxidant and antiulcer potential of Cucumis sativus seeds extract in rats. Asian Journal Clinical Nutrition. 1; 2009: 131-138.

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25.     Patil MK, Kandhare AD, Bhise SD. Pharmacological evaluation of ameliorative effect of aqueous extract of Cucumis sativus L. fruit formulation on wound healing in Wistar rats. Chronicles of Young Scientists. 2; 2011: 207-213.

26.     LU GI, Yuan WX, Fan YJ. Clinical and experimental study of tablet cucumber vine compound in treating essential hypertension (Article in Chinese). Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi.  11(5); 1991: 274-276.

 

Received on 15.02.2013

Modified on 04.03.2013

Accepted on 01.04.2013

© A&V Publication all right reserved

Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 5(2): March-April 2013, 49-53