A Literature-Based Update on Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.: Traditional Uses, Nutraceutical, and Phytopharmacological Profiles

Table 5

Gastrointestinal protective effects of different parts or their extracts/fractions of B. hispida.

Gastroprotective	Model/dose/concentration	Mechanisms	References
Antiulcer effect
Fresh juice, petroleum ether, alcoholic/fruits extract	Aspirin plus restraint, serotonin-induced ulcers, indomethacin plus histamine; Swimming stress; Mice/in vivo; Dose: 1 ml/mouse	↓ulcer index formed by several ulcerogenic	[13]
Fresh juice, ethanol, petroleum ether extracts (5% v/v)	Aspirin plus restraint, swimming stress, indomethacin plus histamine, and serotonin-induced ulcers; Rats and mice/in vivo; Fresh juice (1-4 mL/animal, p.o.),; Dose: ethanol extract 12, 24, and 48 mg/kg, p.o.; Dose: petroleum ether extract 0.75, 1.5, 3 mg/kg, p.o.	Dose-dependent anti-ulcerogenic effect; The fresh juice treatment for 3 months did not change the indices (i.e., WBC, RBC counts HCT, HB, MCV, MCH urea, and sugar); No behavioural changes in experimental animals.	[13]
Petroleum ether, methanol/fruits extract	Pylorus ligated (PL) gastric ulcers, ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage, cold restraint-stress- (CRS-) induced gastric ulcer; Rats/in vivo; Dose: 300 mg/kg, p.o.	↓ulcer index; ↓MDA; ↓vascular permeability; ↑ CAT	[58]
Fruit extract	Indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer; Rats/in vivo; Dose: 1 mL/kg, p.o.	↓ulcer index, ↓MDA; ↓SOD, ↓vitamin C	[23]
Hydromethanol, aqueous ripe fruit, ethyl acetate extracts	Ranitidine (5 mg/kg) induced hypochlorhydria; Rats/in vivo; Dose: 20 mg/kg, p.o./alternative days for 14 days	The aqueous extract showed better effects: ↑antioxidant status, ↑pepsin, ↑vitamin C, ↑chloride in gastric juice	[60]
Fruit extract with the whole plant of Fumaria vaillantii Loisel (1 : 1)	Ranitidine (5 mg/kg) induced hypochlorhydria; Rats/in vivo; Dose: 20 mg/kg, p.o.	↑iron levels in serum, ↑pepsin, ↑gastric juice chloride level and liver ↑blood haemoglobin level	[85]
Fruit juice	Prospective pilot study; Dyspeptic patients () (baseline between 30-45 days); age 18-45 years; 200 mL single-dose every morning in empty stomach for thirty days	↓pain; ↓belching retrosternal burning; ↓nausea; ↓bowel habits	[86]
Antidiarrheal effect
Methanolic fruit extract	Castor oil-induced diarrheal, PGE2-induced, enter pooling and charcoal meal models; Rats/in vivo; Dose: 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg, orally by gavage	Dose-dependent antidiarrheal effect; ↓PGE2- induced, enter pooling ↓gastrointestinal motility	[90]
Methanolic fruit extract	Castor oil, charcoal meal, and antienter pooling models in rats/in vivo; Dose: 200, 400, 600 mg/kg, p.o.	↓ activity against castor oil-induced diarrhoea; ↓PGE2 induced enter pooling ↓gastrointestinal motility	[90]

Abbreviations and symbols:↑(increased); ↓(decreased); WBC: white blood cells; RBC: red blood cells; HCT: hematocrit; HB: haemoglobin; MCV: mean corpuscular volume; MCH: mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration; MDA: malondialdehyde; CAT: catalase; SOD: superoxide dismutase; PGE2: prostaglandin E2.