Cucurbita Plants: From Farm to Industry
Source abstract
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.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Advances in Cucurbitaceae Research · Plant Diversity and Evolution · Coconut Research and Applications
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam 44340847, Iran
Zabol Medicinal Plants Research Center, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol 61615-585, Iran
Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering, Food Engineering Department, Maslak 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Végétale et d’Ethnobotanique, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, Bejaia 06000, Algérie
Department of Plant Sciences, LCWU, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, Uttarakhand, India
G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development Garhwal Regional Centre, Srinagar 246174, Uttarakhand, India
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
Mevsim Gida Sanayi ve Soguk Depo Ticaret A.S. (MVSM Foods), Turankoy, Kestel, Bursa 16540, Turkey
Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Molecular and Applied Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India
Department of Botany, Fakir Chand College, Diamond Harbour, West Bengal 743331, India
Department of Food Science and Technology, Nutrition and Food Sciences Faculty, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851351, Iran
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nigde Ömer Halisdemir University, Campus, Nigde 51240, Turkey
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Concepcion, Concepcion 4070386, Chile
Universidad de Concepción, Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico, UDT, Concepcion 4070386, Chile
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University, Rudaki 139, 734003 Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
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