Portulaca oleracea Linn. (P. oleracea L.) has recently gained attention as a functional food due to the chemical composition of this plant regarding bioactive compounds. The special attention to the use of P. oleracea as an ingredient in functional food products is also due to the promotion of sustainable food. It is an unconventional food plant, and its consumption may contribute to preserving biodiversity due to its cultivation in a polyculture system. Food sovereignty may be achieved, among other strategies, with the consumption of unconventional food plants that are more resistant in nature and easily cultivated in small places. P. oleracea grows spontaneously and may be found in streets and sidewalks, or it may be cultivated with seeds and cuttings propagation. The culinary versatility of P. oleracea opens up opportunities to explore the development of sustainable, functional food products. This mini-review shows that functional food products developed from P. oleracea are already available at the research level, but it is expected that more scientific literature focusing on the development of P. oleracea functional products with proven anticancer activities may be released in the near future. Polysaccharides, some phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and cerebrosides are associated with the inhibition and prevention of carcinogenesis through in vitro and in vivo investigations. The anticancer activities of P. oleracea, its bioactive compounds, and the involved molecular mechanisms have been reported in the literature. The importance of further elucidating the cancer inhibition mechanisms is in the interest of forthcoming applications in the development of food products with anticancer properties for implementation in the human diet.

This research measured the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of 15 cultivars of cantaloupe. Eleven trained panelists assessed melons by descriptive analysis. Northern California consumers (n = 171) evaluated the melons for overall, appearance, flavor, and texture liking on the 9‐point hedonic scale and the adequacy of ripeness, sweetness, and firmness on a 5‐point just‐about‐right (JAR) scale. Twenty‐two sensory attributes differed significantly among the melons. CaldeoDF, Caldeo, Globstar, RML0499, and Caribbean Gold showed higher firmness, crunchiness, and denser textures. Impac presented higher watermelon flavor, bitterness, and sourness. Caldeo, CaldeoDF, Globstar, Magellan, and Sol Real had higher overall intensity, sweetness and oversweet flavor, longer‐lasting aftertaste, and salivating mouthfeel. Consumers liked Magellan, Acclaim, and Primo most, and Aphrodite and Impac least, and the harvesting period was not critical to consumer acceptance. Sweet, oversweet flavor, and intense orange and richness of color were drivers of overall liking. Preference clustering identified three groups of consumers with distinct sensory preferences and favorite cultivars. JAR data showed Acclaim, Magellan, Primo, and Saguaro were just right for ripeness and so was Acclaim for firmness. All melons were judged not sweet enough. Growers and distributors could use the information from this research to improve the quality and appeal of the cantaloupe melon offering in the United States. Practical Application We profiled the sensory attributes and measured consumer liking of 15 cantaloupe cultivars. Our findings should benefit producers and consumers equally as they identified those cultivars with the most promising sensory traits and they uncovered preference segments among a population of Northern California consumers as well as drivers of liking for those segments.

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