 Botany
Melon is a spreading, annual, more or less hairy vine. Leaves are somewhat rounded, angled, 6 to 15 cm long, heart-shaped at the base, and shallowly 3- to 7-lobed. Flowers are yellow, 1.5 to 2 cm long. Fruit is ovoid, somewhat rounded or ellipsoid, 20 cm long or less, smooth, green, and longitudinally striped or mottled.
Distribution
Cultivated in several varieties.
Occasionally, an escape.
Constituents
Fruit contains dextrose, citric acid, water, fat.
Seed contains globulin and glutine, arginine, histidine, lysine, cystine, tryptophan, fixed oil, galactan and glucose.
Oil consists of glycerides of linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic and myristic acid; also, lecithin and chloresterin.
Roots contain nenemetin, potassium malate and pectin.
Contains an emetic principle.
Properties
Considered emetic and purgative.
Fruit, esp pulp, considered nutritive, demulcent, diuretic and cooling.
Seeds considered diuretic.
Kernel considered stomachic, peptic and constructive remedy.
Parts used
Roots, pulp, seeds, kernel.
Uses
Culinary
The native variety as a soft, white flesh. The other cultivated varieties have yellowish or pale-orange flesh, firmer, with rough skins.
Seeds are salted, dried, and the kernels eaten as delicacy.
Folkloric
Root considered an effective emetic – one piece in 60 gm of lime water.
Peduncles used for anasarca and indigestion.
Fruit pulp used as a lotion for chronic and acute eczema; also used for removing tan and freckles; and internally, used for dyspepsia.
Seeds used as diuretic; also, for painful discharges and dysuria.
Kernels prescribed for cancer of the stomach and for purulent difficults of the digestive tract. Also used for menorrhagia.
Studies
• Cucurbitane-Type Triterpenoids / Cytotoxic Activity: Study of the stems of Cucumis melo isolated 21 cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, including 9 new compounds. Two known compounds, cucurbitacin B and cucurbitacin A showed significant cytotoxic activity against proliferation of A549/ATCC and BEL7402 cells in vitro.
• Melon Allergy: In a study of 53 patients with a clinical history of adverse reactions to melon, acute clinical reactivity was confirmed in 19 (36%). The most frequent was oral allergy, two had life-threatening reactions. Skin prick test and specific IgE measurements were 42% and 44% predictive, respectively. Isolated melon allergy is rare, most patients having allergic rhinits and asthma or both, and associated food allergies.
• Antioxidant / Anti-Inflammatory: The CM extract inhibited in a dose-dependent manner the production of superoxide anion, closely linked to superoxide dismutase activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extract was related to its capacity to induce the production of IL-10 by peritoneal macrophages. Also, animals supplemented with the CME/gliadin combination was protected against the pro-inflammatory properties of IFN-g.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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