Cucurbita Plants: From Farm to Industry

Abstract

The Cucurbita genus, a member of Cucurbitaceae family, also known as cucurbits, is native to the Americas. Genus members, like Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima, have been used for centuries in folk medicine for treating gastrointestinal diseases and intestinal parasites. These pharmacological effects are mainly attributed to their phytochemical composition. Indeed, Cucurbita species are a natural source of carotenoids, tocopherols, phenols, terpenoids, saponins, sterols, fatty acids, functional carbohydrates, and polysaccharides, that beyond exerting remarkable biological effects, have also been increasingly exploited for biotechnological applications. In this article, we specifically cover the habitat, cultivation, phytochemical composition, and food preservative abilities of Cucurbita plants.

Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiovascular Diseases: Linking Pathophysiology to Cardioprotective Effects of Natural Bioactive Compounds

“…Anthocyanins, a large sub-group of flavonoids, are water-soluble plant pigments that confer the red, purple, and blue colour to fruits, flowers, and leaves [155,156]. Their cardioprotective effects have been claimed as being mostly located at the endothelial cell level, contributing to vascular homeostasis [157].…”

Probiotics: Versatile Bioactive Components in Promoting Human Health

“…Carrot juice is reported to naturally have ≈2% (w/v) of sucrose, 1% (w/v) of glucose and 0.8% (w/v) of fructose, the main carbon and energy sources for probiotic growth. Additionally, carotenoid content (α-and β-carotene) is partially affected by probiotic bacteria metabolism over fermentation [ 110 , 134 , 135 ]. Moreover, cabbage has been shown to be a good medium for probiotics’ growth [ 136 ], it being even proposed by Jaiswal and Abu-Ghannam that probiotic cabbage juice consumption can be a functional beverage for vegetarians and/or dairy food-allergic consumers [ 137 ].…”

Trace Elements in Edible Flowers from Italy: Further Insights into Health Benefits and Risks to Consumers

“…The floral species analyzed are listed in Table S1 together with their main botanical characteristics and the related references therein [ 7 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 ...…”