Dong Gua Zi
StarBenincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Lung Heat and Transforms Phlegm; Expels Pus and Reduces Swelling; Drains Dampness; Promotes Urination and Reduces Edema; Moistens the Intestines and Unblocks the Bowels
Traditional Chinese Uses
Dong Gua Zi (winter melon seed) is a cool, sweet herb used to clear Lung and Intestine Heat and transform phlegm-heat. It is commonly applied for productive coughs with thick or purulent sputum, and is an important ingredient in formulas for Lung abscess. It also drains dampness and relieves intestinal inflammation associated with heat — making it relevant for conditions with suppuration, pus formation, or thick heat-type secretions.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Benincasa hispida is a vigorous annual climbing or trailing vine in the Cucurbitaceae family, cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical Asia, where it is known as wax gourd or winter melon. The stems are stout, angular, and hispid with stiff hairs, bearing branched tendrils that allow climbing. The alternate leaves are broadly ovate-cordate, 10-25 cm across, palmately five-to-seven lobed, with rough bristly surfaces. Large solitary yellow flowers, 6-12 cm across, are borne in the leaf axils, the plant being monoecious. The fruit is a large oblong to nearly cylindrical pepo, 30-100 cm long, with a thick green rind that develops a conspicuous waxy white bloom at maturity, and white flesh containing numerous flat, ovate, cream-colored seeds. The seeds (Dong Gua Zi) are about 1-1.5 cm long, with smooth or marginally ridged faces, used in TCM as a sweet, cool herb that clears lung heat and resolves phlegm.
Active Constituents
Linoleic acid
Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acidConcentration: Predominant fatty acid of the seed oil (up to ~60% of unsaturated fatty acids)
Major essential fatty acid of winter melon seed oil; contributes to the seed's nutritional value and antioxidant seed-oil profile.
Oleic acid
Omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acidConcentration: Major fatty acid of the seed oil
Principal monounsaturated fatty acid of the seed; part of the ~24% total fatty-acid content of the seed.
beta-Sitosterol
PhytosterolConcentration: Dominant sterol (~55-60% of the sterol fraction)
Anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-modulating phytosterol; the principal sterol of the seed oil.
Campesterol and stigmasterol
PhytosterolsConcentration: Campesterol ~15-18%, stigmasterol ~11-14% of sterols
Secondary phytosterols contributing to the seed's lipid-modulating and anti-inflammatory character.
Trigonelline
Pyridine alkaloidConcentration: Minor seed constituent
Alkaloid reported in winter-melon seed with hypoglycemic and neuroprotective activity in laboratory studies.
Isomultiflorenol
Triterpenoid alcoholConcentration: Trace triterpenoid
Characteristic minor triterpenoid of the seed; part of its non-saponifiable fraction.
Saponins and proteins (osmotin-type)
Saponins / seed proteinsConcentration: Minor constituents
Contribute to the traditional pus-expelling and phlegm-transforming actions attributed to the seed.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Decoction (Tang)
Parts: Dried seed (often crushed)
Dried seeds 6-12 g (crushed to aid extraction) decocted in water. Used to clear Lung Heat, transform phlegm and expel pus; a key seed in classical Lung- and Intestinal-abscess formulas such as Wei Jing Tang and Da Huang Mu Dan Tang for Phlegm-Heat and internal abscess.
Dry-fried (chao) seed
Parts: Dried seed
The seed may be lightly dry-fried to moderate its cool nature and strengthen its action on drying Dampness while still moistening the Intestines to unblock the bowels.
Historical Texts
Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Husbandman's Classic of Materia Medica)
Han dynasty, c. 200 CEBei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (Essential Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold), Sun Simiao
Tang dynasty, 652 CEReferences
- Bimakr M, Rahman RA, Taip FS, Adzahan NM, Sarker MZI, Ganjloo A. Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Seed Oil from Winter Melon (Benincasa hispida) and Its Antioxidant Activity and Fatty Acid Composition . Molecules (2013) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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