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Cucumber is one of the most widely consumed vegetables worldwide, and the fruit spine is an important fruit quality trait. Expansins play critical roles in fruit development; however, the regulation of expansins in cucumber fruit spine development has not been reported. In this study, 33 expansin genes were identified in the cucumber genome V3; additionally, expansin genes in Citrullus lanatus, Cucumis melo, Cucurbita maxima, Lagenaria siceraria, and Benincasa hispida were also identified. Phylogenetic analysis of expansin proteins in Cucurbitaceae and Arabidopsis showed that they evolved separately in each plant species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. maxima was derived earlier than the other five Cucurbitaceae species. The expression of CsEXPA2, CsEXPA14, and CsEXLA3 varied in cucumber lines with different fruit spine densities. A yeast two-hybrid assay showed that a putative auxin transporter encoded by numerous spine gene (ns) interacts with CsEXLA2, which may be involved in the development of the numerous spines in cucumber. These results provide novel insights into the expansins related to plant development and fruit spine development in cucumber.

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] and citron watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (L.H. Bailey) Mansf. ex Greb.) are amongst the widely grown yet under-researched cucurbits genetic resources in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Fresh immature leaves, fruit and seed are used for food and medicinal purposes in the region. Furthermore, both species are used as rootstock and donors of novel genes for commercial production and breeding of sweet dessert watermelon cultivars. Despite their economic value and contribution to food and nutrition security in the region, bottle gourd and citron watermelon genetic resources remain under-utilized and largely un-explored for commercial product development. The objective of this review was to document the unique values of bottle gourd and citron watermelon for genetic improvement and development of value-added food and non-food products, and to highlight regional and global efforts on conservation, production, processing, commercialization and various enterprise development of these important indigenous species. The review discussed on the value of both crops as a rootstock to improve fruit yield and quality of cultivated watermelon. This is followed by important summaries on phenotypic and genetic variation of bottle gourd and citron watermelon genetic resources and implications for new cultivar design. Finally, the review highlighted value-added non-food and food-based products developed based on indigenous knowledge systems in SSA and availability and access to genetic resources of bottle gourd and citron watermelon for breeding, product design and deployment.

Background The consumption of the fruits of cucurbitaceae plants is widely popular among Indians due to their various nutritional and medicinal purposes. Some of these plants are well reported in Ayurveda due to their potential therapeutic importance. In particular, the plants of this family are well-characterized by the presence of its bitter principle, Cucurbitacin E which differs within the species due to its genetic variations. Objectives The objective of the study was to develop a validated RP-HPLC method for standardization in some widely consumed cucurbits with cucurbitacin E as a marker compound. Materials and methods The RP-HPLC method was developed with a reverse phase C18 column, using acetonitrile and water (1% glacial acetic acid) as mobile phase (70:30 v/v). The flow rate and λmax were optimized at 1 mL/min and 230 nm respectively. The HPLC method was validated in terms of accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability as per ICH guideline. Results The calibration curve was found linear in the concentration range of 1–100 μg/mL. The % RSD of precision and recovery was found to be, Graphical abstract Image 1

Lagenaria siceraria is the most popular and widely used fruit vegetable due to its immense health promoting properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate phytochemicals and biological activities of the different fruit parts (epicarp, mesocarp and seeds) of wild bottle gourd extracted with acetone, ethanol, methanol and water. Present study highlighted that seeds extracted with ethanol showed significantly higher total phenolics content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC) (112.58 ± 1.39 mg TAE/g extract; 12.82 ± 0.64 mg CE/g extract, respectively). However, aqueous seeds extract had slightly higher (2.27 ± 0.05 mg CE/g extract) total tannins content (TTC) than ethanolic seeds extract. In addition, total terpenoids content (TTEC) was recorded higher in acetone seed extracts (384.19 ± 19.1 mg UAE/g extract). In antioxidant evaluation, methanolic extract of seeds exhibited considerable DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2, 2′-Azino-bis-(3-ethyl) benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activities (54.08 ± 0.67 mg TE/g extract and 38.58 ± 0.36 mg EE/g extract, respectively). However, ethanol and acetone seed extracts revealed significant phosphomolybdenum and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant property) activities (285.56 ± 3.71 and 72.32 ± 0.52 mg TE/g extract, respectively). In contrast, mesocarp extracted with water showed highest (15.17 ± 0.08 mg EE/g extract) metal chelating activity. Overall, ethanolic seed extract was found to be the excellent combination for the recovery of metabolites. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed the discrimination of phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential of studied extracts and fruit parts. Ethanolic seed extracts exhibited appreciable α-amylase inhibition (28.96% at 1000 μg extract) and acetylcholine esterase inhibition (56.49% at 300 μg extract), however, α-glucosidase inhibition (71.85% at 300 μg extract) was highest in methanol extract. The bitter principle isolated from the seeds revealed potent anticancer activities against MCF-7 (GI50

The effect of baking temperatures (180, 190, 200, 210 & 220 °C) on the quality attributes viz., proximate composition, amino acids and protein quality of the de-oiled bottle gourd seed cake powder (BGSCP) fortified biscuit was investigated. Baking temperature predictably was found to have a significant effect on the parameters considered. Excluding ash content, a temperature dependent kinetic of the proximate composition was observed. Foremost heat sensitive amino acids were ARG > MET > LYS > HIS which were declined significantly (p ASP > ALA > TRP > VAL > PHE > SER up to 20–25% with increase in the baking temperature from 180 220 °C. A significant (p

Experiments are designed and conducted in two stages where the semi-pilot scale acidogenic bioreactor is primarily operated with food waste (40 g COD/L). Cumulative bio-hydrogen production (CHP) of 59 L and volatile fatty acid (VFA) of 6.1 g/L is observed during the 5th cycle at 48th h of the acidogenic process. Secondly, VFA rich acidogenic outlet (AO) is studied for its real field application as phosphate solubilizing agent (PSA) in the soil for the cultivation of Lagenaria sicerari (bottle guard-BG). Regular addition of varied concentration of AO (Zone A- Control, Zone B- 1%, Zone C- 3%, Zone D- 6%, Zone E- 10% and Zone F- 15%) in the soil resulted in phosphate solubility. Relatively higher phosphate availability is observed in Zone-D (729 mg/g) on 148th day followed by Zone-F (551 mg/g), Zone-E (543 mg/g), Zone-C (450 mg/g), Zone-B (357 mg/g) and Zone-A (155 mg/g). Plant growth is evaluated on a regular basis which depicted that the maximum number of BG were harvested from the plants growing in Zone- D (16) followed by Zone-F (13), Zone-C (12), Zone-E (11), Zone-B (9) and Zone-A (5). Application of VFA rich AO illustrated the beneficial effect on phosphate solubility in soil and uptake by plants, thus the proposed formulation could be considered as an alternative PSA.

Lagenaria siceraria is an important source of primary and bioactive metabolites, and is extensively used in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacin I (CUI) is well-known for its potential bioactive properties. In the present investigation, CUI was extracted from different fruit parts (epicarp, mesocarp and seed) using various solvents (acetone, ethanol and methanol). Mesocarp extracted with acetone was found to be the most suitable combination for maximizing the yield of CUI (6.335 ± 0.21 mg/g FW). Among the different extraction methods, the highest yield of CUI (13.77 ± 0.20 mg/g FW) was obtained by soxhlet extraction. Mesocarp tissue extracted with acetone using soxhlet extraction (2 h) was noted the simplest and fastest method for the detection and screening of CUI. We also confirmed that the yield of CUI was tissue, solvent, time and temperature dependent. Furthermore, CUI was also confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis confirmed the presence of tetracyclic triterpene–cucurbitacin I along with other pharmaceutically important compounds.

Designing and validation of universal primer combination for matK gene in Cucurbitaceae is described. Using the universal primers already reported, matK gene amplification was attempted in 24 Momordica and 4 Luffa accessions, which was successful at varying rates. Amplified markers were gel eluted, Sanger sequenced and the sequences along with the matK sequences from other Cucurbitaceae genera available at GenBank, were aligned to identify the conserved regions in the locus. Primer combination was designed for the conserved regions and this primer set was found successful for all the Momordica and Luffa accessions. Subsequently, the primer combination was shown successful for other genera such as Benincasa, Cucumis, Cucurbita, Citrullus, Coccinia, Trichosanthes and Lagenaria, suggesting it as a universal system for matK gene in Cucurbitaceae family.

Previous investigations on bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.], were mainly focused on genetic resources characterisation and crop husbandry. Accessing the anatomical and chemical determinants of fruit and seed traits that directly influence the yield of L. siceraria is a prerequisite for full exploitation of its genetic resources for breeding purposes. This study aimed at gathering the anatomical and chemical bases of fruit rind and seed coat hardness in calabash and egusi varieties of bottle gourd. Variation between the two bottle gourd varieties was observed in fruit rind sclerified outer mesocarp and seed coat thickness. Lignified tissues were thicker in calabash than those of egusi in both fruit rind and seed coat. In addition, the extent of the sclerified outer mesocarp was greater in calabash (up to 503 μm thick) compared to egusi (up to 417 μm thick). In egusi seed coat, only the inner epidermis was lignified while in calabash, both mesophyll and inner epidermis were lignified. Klason lignin procedure confirmed histological analyses, showing a higher amount of lignin in calabash tissues compared to those of egusi, whatever fruit age considered. Fruit rind and seed coat were harder in calabash than in egusi due to the greater degree of lignification in calabash tissues compared to those of egusi.

α-Fe 2 O 3 /CNT nanocomposite was successfully synthesised via in-situ co-precipitation method. The structural properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The nanocomposite was uniformly coated on dried shell of Lagenaria siceraria (LS) and directly used as the working electrode for electrochemical investigation. It was found that the as-prepared Fe 2 O 3 /CNT-LS electrode exhibited high capacity, better cycling stability and rate capability. This improved performance was attributed to the spongy, fibrous and networking structure of Lagenaria siceraria dried shell, which allowed fast diffusion of electrolyte ions and structural stability. This Fe 2 O 3 /CNT-LS electrode can be promising candidate for energy storage applications.

We aimed to document possible adverse reactions (ARs) experienced by herbal medicine (HM) consumers and provide a quantitative evaluation of the severity of any ARs reported. We also compared reported ARs with existing literature to validate any interaction(s). Data was collected via interviews from key informants (n = 327). Ethnobotanical indices namely; relative frequency of citation, index of severity of ARs (ISAR), and ethnobotanicity index (EI) were calculated. The Pearson’s Chi-squared test was used to determine any association. The strength of the association was evaluated using the Phi (ϕ) coefficient and the Cramer’s V test. Twenty percent of HM users experienced ARs following use of HM. A total of 48 HM remedies, including 47 plants (with 15 plants recorded for the first time to cause ARs), and one polyherbal formulation containing four herbs were recorded to induce 46 distinct ARs. The EI showed that 7.24% of the local flora can cause ARs. Six plants (Murraya koenigii L., Datura stramonium L., Atropa belladonna L., Rubus alceifolius Poir., Piper betle L., Phoenix dactylifera L.) recorded the highest ISAR value of 1.000 implying that these plants cause severe ARs. Moreover, one HM user experienced a comatose state that led to hospitalisation by consuming decoction of the peels of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. Eight possible herb-herb and herb-drug interactions were identified. It is anticipated that results from this study will be used as a guide and baseline by other countries to assess ARs associated with HM as many of the remedies documented herein are used globally. Proper regulation, counselling, and identification of risks associated with HM are warranted and there is a pressing need for concerted pharmacovigilance strategies for safe clinical practice of HM.

Cucurbitacins are a group of secondary metabolites produced by cucurbits including bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.]. The role of cucurbitacins in plant responses to drought stress is not well-determined. The objective of this study was to investigate the response of bottle gourd to drought stress and to establish the relationship between cucurbitacins accumulation and drought tolerance. Leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and level of cucurbitacins production were investigated on 12 bottle-gourd landraces grown under drought-stressed (DS) and non-stressed (NS) conditions. Results showed that stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (T) rate, net CO2 assimilation rate (A), the ratio of CO2 assimilation rate and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci/Ca), intrinsic and instantaneous water-use efficiencies declined in landraces that were subjected to drought stress. Intercellular CO2 concentration, the ratio of intercellular and atmospheric CO2 concentration increased significantly in response to drought stress. The maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry (Fv’/Fm’), the effective quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry, photochemical quenching (qP) and non-photochemical quenching (qN) were not affected by drought stress; whereas, electron transport rate, electron transport to oxygen molecules (ETR/A) and alternative electron sink (AES) declined. Cucurbitacin E and I were detected under NS and DS conditions in some of the tested bottle gourd landraces. Significant and positive correlations were observed between cucurbitacin I content with ETR/A and AES. The current study identified drought tolerant bottle gourd landraces namely: BG-48, BG-58, BG-70, BG-78 and BG-79 based of high values for gs, T, A, Fv’/Fm’ and qN under DS condition. These selections may be useful for drought tolerance breeding in bottle gourd or related cucurbits. There is a need for a further investigation whether cucurbitacin I accumulation may be involved in the regulation of the physiological processes evaluated in the present study.

The bottle gourd or calabash [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.] (2n = 2x = 22), also known as opo squash or long melon, is an important cucurbit crop worldwide. Commonly used as a vegetable, bottle gourd fruits have a peculiar umami taste that is important for their market value. To date, the umami chemical ingredients of bottle gourd fruits and their genetic determinants remain unidentified. In the current study, the relationship between umami flavor and free amino acid (FAA) contents was analyzed using a representative panel of twenty-eight accessions. Among the FAAs identified, free glutamate (Glu) was found to have the most significant association with umami taste, suggesting that free Glu is the main umami-conferring ingredient of bottle gourd. To further identify the genetic regions associated with umami taste, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for free Glu content was conducted in a diversity panel consisting of 139 inbred lines, each sequenced with a restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) technology. Seventeen SNPs were identified as associated with free Glu content, each accounting for 7.5% to 15.1% of the phenotypic variation. The number of the favored alleles for each line varied from 0 to 13. Free Glu content exhibited a significant positive correlation with the number of the favored alleles. These results indicated that there is considerable genetic potential to develop new varieties with stronger umami taste through targeting more favored alleles of free Glu content. To our knowledge, this is the first GWAS study in bottle gourd. Our work reveals the genetic architecture of umami taste in the bottle gourd and will help facilitate molecular breeding of cultivars with improved flavor.

Lagenaria siceraria (LS) is recognized for its ethnomedicinal properties. The present study aimed to compare and optimize extraction of bioactive compounds, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) from LS by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and Soxhlet extraction (SE) using ethyl acetate as a green solvent. The fresh fruit was ground and dried under two methods freeze drying and oven drying. The dried biomass was defatted with hexane and the defatted material was used for extraction. Maximum % yield by UAE, MAE and SE was 5.08%, 4.00% and 3.20%, respectively. The TPC (mg/100 mg of GAE) had the overall order as 32.02 of UAE >31.99 of MAE >16.51 of SE. The overall trend of the TFC (mg/100 mg of RE) was 24.28 of MAE >21.94 of UAE >7.94 of SE. In conclusion, for polyphenolic compounds from L. siceraria, UAE and MAE were highly more powerful than SE.

Bottle gourd [ Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae is an important crop widely grown for its fruits, seeds or succulent leaves. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is believed to be the centre of genetic diversity of bottle gourd where it is commonly grown by smallholder farmers predominantly using unimproved and genetically diverse landrace varieties. Bottle gourd received limited research and development priority towards genetic improvement and cultivar deployment and conservation in SSA compared to the continental Asia and America. The genetic variation present among landraces in SSA is a useful raw material for bottle gourd improvement programmes in the region and globally. The objective of this review is to present the perspectives on the genetic diversity and genetic resources, population structure and breeding progress of bottle gourd. Further, the review discusses the potential of genomic resources for genetic analysis and genomic selection of bottle gourd to accelerate conventional breeding in enhancing productivity and systematic conservation of the crop.

Laser stimulation effect on L. siceraria seed mucilage, biochemicals and enzymatic activities during early growth stages were investigated. The laser density power of 1mW/cm2 for 3 and 5min treatments were performed and various responses i.e., seedlings mucilage, biochemical and enzymatic activities were studied. Laser treatment of L. siceraria seeds enhanced the biochemical as well as the enzymatic activities. TPC (total phenolic contents),TFC (total flavonoids contents), TSS (total soluble sugar), reducing sugar, proline contents, total soluble protein and nitrogen contents were recorded higher in laser treated groups versus control. Mucilage from L. siceraria seed coat was also characterized. The pre-sowing seeds were treated with laser radiation for 3 and 5min. TPC, TFC, proline contents, total soluble protein and nitrogenous compounds contents, ascorbic acid contents were recorded higher at 3min. The laser irradiation effect on TSS, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) was insignificant versus control. The SOD (superoxide dismutase) and POD (peroxidase), AMY (amylase), CAT (catalase) activities were recorded higher for 5min laser treatment. Results revealed that He-Ne continuous wave-laser pre-sowing seed irradiation affected the seed coat mucilage, biochemical and enzymatic activities positively and this treatment could possibly be used to enhance the L. siceraria productivity. Future study will be focused on growth at later stages and yield characteristics of L. siceraria.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of plant genetic resources is fundamental for breeding and strategic conservation. This study assessed the genetic diversity present in bottle gourd landraces using 10 fruit qualitative traits and 11 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Thirty six South African bottle gourd landraces collected from various geographic locations were used for the study. Phenotypic diversity was estimated using Shannon-Weaver diversity indices, principal component and cluster analyses. Phenotypic diversity index was 0.98, showing high genetic diversity among bottle gourd landraces. Principal component analysis identified four PCs which contributed for 75.3% of the total phenotypic variation. Presence or absence of fruit neck, fruit shape, degree of neck bending and fruit neck length positively correlated with PC1, which accounted for 37.6% of the total variation. Primary fruit colour and fruit texture highly correlated with PC2 which accounted for 15.78% of the total variation. Number of alleles varied from 3 to 9 with a mean of 6 per SSR locus. Number of effective alleles ranged from 1.99 to 6.72 with a mean of 3.75. Expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.5 to 0.87 with a mean of 0.71 with polymorphic information content varying from 0.5 to 0.85 and a mean of 0.7. Qualitative traits and SSR markers analyses had significant correlation ( r = 0.15, P = 0.02) in clustering the landraces. The present study revealed that fruit qualitative traits are useful attributes in bottle gourd breeding and genetic analysis.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Ant abundance and Cosmopolites sordidus damage in plantain fields as affected by intercropping” (A.G. Dassou, D. Carval, S. Dépigny, G.H Fansi, P. Tixier, 2015) [1]. This article describes how associated crops maize (Zea mays), cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) intercropped in the plantain fields in Cameroun modify ant community structure and damages of banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus. The field data set is made publicly available to enable critical or extended analyzes.

Floatation of archaeological remains from sediments of the Neolithic Zhumucun site, attributed to the Liangzhu Culture (5300–4300 BP), demonstrates the diverse plant resources available at this site. The plant remains suggest a generally warm and humid wetland landscape where rice-based subsistence was possible. Domesticated rice was cultivated in paddy fields and served as the only cereal, while some melons and fruits, such as muskmelon (Cucumis melo) were probably cultivated as well. In addition, some species of Polygonum might have been utilized as vegetables. Furthermore, herbs such as Potentilla sp., Zehneria indica, and Lagenaria siceraria var. microcarpa were probably collected for medical purposes.

This study evaluated the combined effect of blanching and sonication treatment on selected quality parameters of bottle gourd juice (BGJ). Bottle gourd cubes were blanched and juice was extracted. Effect of frequency (20-50kHz), amplitude (50-90%) and time (10-30min) was also studied on quality parameters like titratable acidity (TA), pH, total soluble solids (TSS), physical stability (PS), ascorbic acid (AA), total phenolics (TP), total carotenoids (TC), browning index (BI), total plate count (TPC) and yeast & mold count (Y&M) of BGJ to derive the level of these parameters. Combined effect of blanching followed by sonication (BFS) showed significant (P⩽0.05) change in all quality parameters except TA. Highest percentage of TSS (5.9°B), PS (2%), AA (18.99mg/100g), TP (1010mg/100g) and TC (5.8mg/100g) was observed at 70% amplitude, 50kHz frequency and 20min. Results suggested 70% amplitude, 50kHz frequency and 20min as best treatment conditions for processing of BGJ. Microstructure examination, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and laser diffraction analysis of BGJ showed significant change in particle size and distribution. Moreover, TEM of blanched and sonicated samples of BGJ also showed significant (P⩽0.05) change in microbial profile.

The experiments were conducted to characterize eighteen Fusarium wilt resistant Citrullus accessions for their root parameters and to evaluate their performance as rootstocks for vigour, earliness, quality, yield and tolerance to sudden wilt disease of grafted watermelon in comparison with Cucurbita and Lagenaria rootstocks. Significant variations were observed among the rootstocks for all the root traits under study. The length and diameter of the rootstock hypocotyl were found to be an indicator of the robustness of the root system. A significant influence on vine length and earliness of the grafted crop was observed across different rootstocks. The grafts on Citrullus rootstocks could maintain the oblong fruit shape of the scion compared to those onto Cucurbita hybrid and Lagenaria rootstocks which yielded from flat-globe to spherical shaped fruits. A wide variation of TSS and carotenoid content was observed upon grafting while the pulp pH remained largely unaffected. An increase of average fruit weight by 82.37% and yield per plant by 112.15% in grafts onto RS-18 and RS-10 respectively were recorded. The grafts onto rootstocks viz., RS-10, RS-21 and RS-25 also exhibited reduced severity of sudden wilt; hence are of value in regions prone to both Fusarium wilt and sudden wilt diseases. Overall, the Citrullus accessions viz., RS-10, RS-11 and RS-18 were found to be promising in comparison to Cucurbita hybrids and Lagenaria rootstocks. Grafting onto resistant rootstocks can help in environment-friendly management of Fusarium and sudden wilt diseases in watermelon without compromising the yield and quality.

Grafting is a widely used practice in fruit-bearing vegetables. However, why grafting affects plant growth, fruit yield, and quality, especially from the aspect of mineral nutrition, remains unclear. In this study, watermelon cultivar ‘Zaojia 8424’ was grafted onto bottle gourd ‘Jingxinzhen 1’ (Lagenaria siceraria) and pumpkin ‘Qingyanzhen 1’ (Cucurbita maxima × C. moschata). Non-grafted plants were used as the control. Results show that rootstock grafting significantly increases plant growth and single fruit weight of watermelon. Watermelon grafted onto rootstocks, especially pumpkin, exhibits significantly higher root volume, root surface area, and number of root tips and forks in comparison with non-grafted plants. Fruit flesh, rind firmness, and rind thickness were enhanced by grafting. However, fruit soluble solids and taste significantly decreased in plants grafted onto pumpkin. The total uptake (mg ⋅ plant−1) and concentration (mg ⋅ g−1 DW) of N, K, Ca, Fe, Mg, and Mn in root, stem, leaf, fruit rind, and flesh were generally higher in grafted plants compared to non-grafted ones, especially for N of pumpkin rootstock-grafted plants. The total uptake of nutrients of plants grafted onto bottle gourd and pumpkin was increased by 30.41% and 49.14% at fruit development stage and by 21.33% and 47.46% at fruit maturation stage, respectively, compared with non-grafted plants. We concluded that watermelon grafting onto suitable rootstocks can increase the uptake of mineral nutrition, especially for N in the pumpkin rootstock grafted plants, thereby affecting plant growth, fruit yield, and quality.

Given a sizable proportion of bio-resource production in the North-east (NE) India and the need to enhance the shelf life of perishable horticultural regional produce, this work addresses the optimality of inexpensive oven and intermittent airflow assisted tray drying processes for Kolmou (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.), Pui (Basella alba), Jatialao sak (Lagenaria siceraria leaves), Kolphul (Musa balbisiana Colla blossom), Kaskal (Musa splendida), green Komora (Benincasa hispida) and Posola (Musa balbisiana Colla pseudostem) vegetables of NE India. Characterization parameters for process parametric optimality include proximate analysis based evaluation of moisture content, yield, carbohydrate, crude protein, soluble protein, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, ash, crude fibre and fat content. For most vegetables, tray drying process performance is superior in terms of better moisture removal, higher yield and higher anti-oxidant activity. Among all considered samples, tray dried Kolmou possessed highest antioxidant activity. Vitamin C content was seen to be highest in tray dried Komora., Food engineering; Food technology; Food processing; Food analysis; Food composition; Oven drying; Tray drying; Proximate analysis; Vitamin C; Antioxidant activity

Bottle gourd [ Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.] is an easy growing climber that has made great impact due to its medicinal importance. For estimating genetic diversity among accessions in breeding programs, SSR markers are an essential tool, but for the species that have meager number of these markers available, their development is a challenging aspect. In the present study a microsatellite-enriched library was constructed from the genotype ‘Pusa Santushti’. Sequencing of 100 putative SSR-positive clones from a total of 220 clones provided 44 SSR repeats and primer pairs could be designed for a total of 40 SSRs. Of these, 30 (75%) primer pairs yielded scorable amplicons and seven (17.5%) primers showed polymorphism among 40 bottle gourd accessions. The 20 polymorphic alleles from seven polymorphic markers were used for UPGMA dendrogram and population structure analysis; both revealed that five populations are present in the 40 accessions that did not group consistent with their geographical origins probably due to gene flow. The results of this study provide 30 novel SSR markers that would be valuable in agriculture via plant breeding, phylogenetic relationships, cultivar identification and linkage mapping in cultivated bottle gourd as well as related cucurbits species. Significantly, 49 partial genome sequences were also isolated that can be helpful in further gene based studies in this vegetable crop.

The use of medicinal food plants (MFP) as herbal remedies is currently undergoing a renewed interest, with increased sales, consumer preference and regulatory interest. Mauritius is a multi-cultural island with a long-standing tradition in the use of herbal remedies. This study has endeavoured to evaluate the consumption pattern, culinary and medicinal uses, attitude and perceptions of Mauritians towards seven common MFP ( Amaranthus hybridus (amaranth), Aloe vera (aloe), Momordica charantia (bitter-melon), Lagenaria siceraria (bottle-gourd), Moringa oleifera (drumstick/leaves), Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit) and Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit)) with the aim of identifying significant influential factors (if any) which shape attitudes of Mauritians. Questionnaire-guided face to face interviews were performed ( n = 384; age ≥ 30 years). Preliminary analyses, descriptive statistics and inferential tests (ANOVA, t -tests and χ 2 test) were applied. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices (use value (UV), fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (ICF)) were used to assess the medicinal importance of the MFP. There was a general consensus that MFP were known for their medicinal role. Taste was a significant ( p p p p

Unstructured Gompertz and Logistic models were developed to describe growth, substrate utilization and lactic acid production by Lactobacillus plantarum NCDC 414 in juices of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and carrot (Daucus carota). These vegetable juices have considerably good quantities of total sugars that allowed the growth of L. plantarum for 24 h at 37 °C, after which the cell numbers begin to decline. Kinetics of cell growth, lactic acid production and sugar consumption were evaluated. The viable cell counts increased from 4 × 105 CFU/ml to 7 × 1010 CFU/ml after 24 h of fermentation. The lactic acid increased by about 4.5 times in 24 h and about 44% w/v reduction in sugar content was observed during growth of L. plantarum. Significant lactic acid production occurred during the growth phase as well as stationary phase. With the kinetic model proposed by R. Luedeking and E.L. Piret for lactic acid production rate, the growth associated and non growth associated coefficients were determined. The model was demonstrated for batch growth of L. plantarum in vegetable juice.

The fruits of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. (Cucurbitaceae), a commonly used vegetable, are reported to possess various medicinal properties. In previous studies, the fibrinolytic potential of an ethanolic extract of fruits of Lagenaria siceraria was investigated in comparison with kaempferol isolated from it. The aim of the present study was to explore its mechanistic antithrombotic potential and antiplatelet activity using a wide dose range in different in vitro and in vivo models, and to quantify the total phenolic, flavonoid, and kaempferol contents using a colorimetric method.The antithrombotic potential was investigated using tail bleeding time in mice, a plasma recalcification assay, and pulmonary thromboembolism in mice. The antiplatelet activity was studied using an in vitro model to investigate IC50 value.A significant amount of total phenols, flavonoids, and kaempferol was quantified in L. siceraria ethanolic extract. An ethanolic extract of the fruits of L. siceraria showed a significant increase in tail bleeding time and plasma recalcification time, significant protection against ADP induced pulmonary thromboembolism in mice, and also inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by ADP in vitro. The study suggested that the fruits of L. siceraria exhibit significant antithrombotic potential due to inhibition of ADP-mediated platelet aggregation and the involvement of various non-cellular chemical mediators of blood.This finding may be helpful in treating the serious consequences of the thrombus formed in blood vessels which include atherothrombotic diseases, such as myocardial or cerebral infarction. So, further investigation should be done for revealing exact mechanism of action behind these types of activities.

Production of seedless watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai) using soft X-ray irradiated pollen has the advantage that this method can be used with diploid cultivars; however, pistillate flowers must be covered with a bag before flowering to prevent normal pollination by insects. Therefore, we attempted to prevent normal pollen penetration by pollinating pistillate watermelon flowers with intergeneric pollen before anthesis. In the course of conducting these studies, we found a new method to produce seedless watermelon by pollinating with bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.) pollen. When the pollen of bottle gourd was used to pollinate pistillate watermelon flowers, the fruit set rate was 57.1%. On the other hand, the fruit set rate by pollinating with watermelon pollen was 65.0%. Although the fruit set rate using bottle gourd pollen was slightly lower than the fruit set rate obtained when watermelon pollen was used, this percentage was higher than expected. Preservation of pollen collected from staminate flowers of bottle gourd was difficult, and fruit did not set. In contrast, fruit developed when bottle gourd pollen from staminate flowers stored at 4 °C for 72 h was used to pollinate watermelon. All parthenocarpic fruits produced by pollination with bottle gourd pollen were deformed (triangular or oblong shaped). There was a significant difference in the ratio of fruit length to fruit width; however, fruit weight, rind thickness, flesh color and Brix in the parthenocarpic fruit were almost the same as control fruit. There were no normal seeds except for small, white empty seeds in the fruit obtained from pollinating with bottle gourd pollen. Bottle gourd pollen tubes did not reach the ovules of watermelon ovaries. Therefore, we concluded that parthenocarpy resulting from pollination with bottle gourd pollen was stimulative parthenocarpy, not pseudo parthenocarpy (pseudogamy).

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) seed oil is found to be an important oil in India as well as in world market due to its medicinal properties. It is used in various cosmetics, skin therapy and in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Also some medicines which are formulated using L. siceraria seed oil are used in treatment of treating acne, hyper-seborrhea, alopecia and hirsutism. The aim of this paper was to extract the oil from L. siceraria seed using a green separation process. The effects of pressure, temperature and supercritical fluid's flow rate on the oil yield were investigated using Taguchi experimental design strategy. An orthogonal array, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to determine significance of various parameters and their interactions. The experimental results showed that pressure and temperature were directly proportional the oil yield. However, the effect of flow rate on the oil yield was not significant. Maximum extraction yield (34.60% (dry basis)) was obtained at 500 bar, 60 °C and flow rate of 15 g/m.

Aims: Current study was aimed to produce nitrogen fixing Azotobacter sp. (SR-4) and phosphorus solubilizers Aspergillus niger (A. niger) and to evaluate their efficiency as biofertilizers for agricultural practices. Methods: Two biofertilizer including nitrogen fixing and phosphorus solubilizing were grown. The nitrogen fixing efficiency of Azotobacter (SR-4) was determined by Kjeldahl method. Similarly, Vanadomoybdate method was used to measure the soluble phosphorus while Heinonen method was used to analyze concentration of phytase and phosphatase in the cultures. Furthermore, both biofertilizers were tested in a field trail on Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd) and Abelmoschus esculentus (okra). Results: The Azotobacter (SR-4) strain was found efficient nitrogen fixer as 35.08 mg of nitrogen per gram of carbon was produced after 72 h of fermentation. Similarly, A. niger strain excrete extracellular phosphate solubilizing enzymes such as phytase (133UI in 48 h of fermentation) and phosphatase (170UI in 48 h of fermentation) which can solubilize the rock phosphate and make it available to plants. In field trials on selected plants (L. siceraria and A. esculentus), both biofertilizers showed significant increase in plant height, leaf length/width, fruit size and number of fruits per plant when compared with controls/untreated plants. Furthermore, plants co-inoculated with both the N fixing Azotobacter and phosphorus solubilizing A. niger have enhanced performance than those treated with each biofertilizer alone. Conclusion: The inoculation of seeds with A. niger and Azotobacter may replace costly and environment toxic chemical fertilizers with environment friendly and cost effective biofertilizers. Keywords: Biofertilizers, Azotobacter, A. niger, Bottle gourd and okra

Starch isolated from under-utilized seeds of five different cultivars of Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) standley (Cucurbitaceae) was carboxymethylated. The influence of the degree of substitution (DS) on physicochemical properties and drug release properties of starches was studied. The physicochemical profiles of the derivatives were assessed by means of FT-IR, XRD, SEM, elemental analysis, reaction efficiency, water binding capacity, swelling power, powder characteristics and visual estimation. The highest values of the DS obtained when the carboxymethylation was performed at 45 °C for 4 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that after carboxymethylation, the granular appearance of the native starch was distorted. The new bands at 1576.87 cm−1 and 1423.81 cm−1 in Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) indicated that the starch granules were substituted. Wide-angle X-ray diffractometry revealed that crystallinity was reduced significantly after carboxymethylation. Powder studies revealed that these starches possess potential for pharmaceutical applications. The matrix tablets were found to release the drug by Korsmeyer and Peppas kinetics. The carboxymethylated starches with high DS can be used as a drug release retardant in sustained release formulations, as the drug dissolution rate of native starches was significantly lower than the modified starches.

The increase in agricultural production as well as its nutritional quality at a cost bearable by producers is today a challenge in rural areas. Vermicompost is a low-cost organic amendment known for its effectiveness on agricultural productivity increase but little is diffused about its efficacy on nutritional quality. This study aimed to evaluate the benefits of vermicompost from cattle dung on Lagenaria siceraria yield and its edible parts content in mineral and in heavy metal compared to raw dung. The study was carried out in the region of Mankono the biggest area for L. siceraria production in Côte d’Ivoire during three cycle seasons. The experiment consisted of three treatments arranged in a complete randomized block design with four replicates. The agronomic parameters as yield, number of leaves and flowers per plant were evaluated. Also, mineral nutrients and heavy metal concentrations in roots, leaves and seeds were measured. Results showed that yield, number of leaves and flowers per plant were higher with the vermicompost than with the cattle manure and the control. The yield obtained with the vermicompost was 2.5 times and 20 times higher respectively than that with the cattle manure and the control. Mineral concentrations in roots, leaves and seeds were the highest with the vermicompost when heavy metal contents were the lowest. The present study indicates that vermicompost utilization improves the yield and the nutritional quality of the edible parts of L. siceraria and hence could be recommended to producers for increasing productivity with keeping the health and safety of human.

Patients with diabetes mellitus have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, a reduction in all cardiovascular risks such as dyslipidemia, hypertension and being over-weight is advisable. Plants or their extracts such as Lagenaria siceraria (Bottle gourd) may have a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neutraceutical potential of bottle gourd juice in the management of human diabetes and associated dyslipidemia. The study involved the administration of freshly prepared bottle gourd juice (200 ml) to 100 human participants (diabetic patients n = 50; healthy volunteers n = 50) on an empty stomach for 90 consecutive days. Biochemical markers of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism plus kidney and liver functions were monitored at monthly intervals during the course of bottle gourd juice administration. A notable reduction in blood glucose levels plus a significant reduction in total cholesterol (17.8%), serum triglycerides (16–22%), LDL-c (22.2%) and a considerable decrease in VLDL-c was observed in diabetic subjects on juice therapy. Anthropometric evaluation remained more or less unchanged. Bottle gourd juice administration contributed to significant elevations in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in both diabetic (40.5%) as well as normal healthy subjects. An appreciable improvement in GSH levels (9% elevation) of diabetic subjects ( P L. siceraria juice may be used as an alternative and adjunctive treatment in disorders associated with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

Gourd family vegetables having a high content of minerals find application in food and medicine. These vegetables are also rich source of insoluble and soluble dietary fibres. This paper reports prebiotic ability of dietary fibre from five vegetables viz., Benincasa hispida, Lagenaria siceraria, Momordica charantia, Trichosanthes anguina, and Cucurbita maxima with wheat fibre as control. Bile salt adsorption was used for preliminary screening of all vegetables wherein M. charantia showed the highest adsorption. Pure cultures as well as mix culture of Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus fermentum, Bifidobacterium breve and Clostridium acetobutilicum species were used to study in vitro fermentation for total short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. B. hispida fibres with a 48 h fermentation period produced 1563 mM of total SCFA which was the highest amongst all the vegetables. In the present study, gourd family vegetables were seen to have significant prebiotic ability.

Objective To elucidate free radical scavenging activity of ethanolic extract Lagenaria siceraria ( L. siceraria ) (Molina) fruit. Methods The free radical scavenging activity of the L. siceraria (Molina) fruit extract was assayed by using α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,20-azinobis 3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS), FRAP, reducing power, chelating ability and β-carotene bleaching assay. Results The IC 50 values of DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity was found to be 1.95 mg/mL and 19 mg/mL, respectively. In ferrous chelation assay, the percentage of inhibition was found to be 89.21%. The reducing power of ethanolic extract of L. siceraria (Molina) fruit was 0.068 at 1 mg/mL and increased to 0.192 at 5 mg/mL. The β-carotene linoleate bleaching assay was 46.7% at 5 mg/mL and antioxidant activity using FRAP at 0.305 for 1 mg/mL to 0.969 for 5 mg/mL. Conclusions The results indicate that L. siceraria (Molina) fruit could be an important sources of natural radical scavengers.

Powdery mildew ( Podosphaera xanthii ) affects seedlings of inter-specific hybrid squash ( Cucurbita moschata × Cucurbita maxima ) and bottle gourd ( Lagenaria siceraria ) used as rootstocks to graft seedless watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus ). Because powdery mildew grows primarily on the leaf surface where contact fungicides are effective, biofungicides may be effective preventative treatments for powdery mildew. The objectives of this study were to determine which biofungicides, organic fungicides, and conventional synthetic fungicides provided the best control of powdery mildew and least phytotoxicity on cucurbit rootstock seedlings in the greenhouse. Sixteen treatments (six biopesticides, four additional organic-approved fungicides, and six conventional synthetic fungicides) were tested. Four experiments were conducted and all were repeated once. Hybrid squash ‘Strong Tosa’ seedlings were used in the first three experiments, and bottle gourd ‘Emphasis’ seedlings were used in experiment four. In experiments one, two, and four, seedlings were sprayed three times at 5-day intervals and exposed to powdery mildew continuously after the first application. In the third experiment, seedlings were exposed to inoculum for 7 days, sprayed once, and held in a humidity chamber for 7 days under conditions used for healing after grafting. The most effective organic-approved fungicides were sulfur and fish oil + sesame oil, and the most effective conventional fungicides were penthiopyrad, myclobutanil, and cyprodinil plus fludioxonil. Quinoxyfen was phytotoxic to cotyledons of both species, and tebuconazole stunted both species. To manage powdery mildew, one or two preventative applications of sulfur or fish oil + sesame oil and one application of myclobutanil or penthiopyrad, if needed, are recommended.

Crown rot caused by Phytophthora capsici is becoming an increasingly important disease of vegetable crops in southeastern U.S. In recent years, the practice of grafting watermelon onto rootstocks belonging to other Cucurbitaceae genera has also been slowly gaining adoption in the U.S. However, it is not known how these rootstocks, developed mainly in Asia, will respond to diseases prevalent in local production areas. We evaluated the available commercial watermelon rootstocks for resistance to Phytophthora crown rot by inoculating them with a zoospore suspension of P. capsici in four different trials. Disease development on rootstocks was rated on a 1–9 scale (1 = no symptoms, 9 = plant dead). Based on all the four trials, the commercial Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd) rootstocks, FR-Strong, Emphasis, Macis and WMXP-3938 were resistant (Mean rating ≤3) to crown rot when compared to susceptible watermelon checks (mean rating >8). All Cucurbita inter-specific hybrid rootstocks and a watermelon rootstock Ojakkyo, were highly susceptible to crown rot (mean rating >8). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using two different P. capsici specific primers (ITS and β-tubulin) indicated the presence of significantly ( P P. capsici DNA g −1 plant tissue in susceptible Cucurbita inter-specific hybrid rootstocks (β-tubulin, mean = 2895 ng) and watermelon (2665 ng) compared to the L. siceraria rootstocks (357 ng). Crown rot resistant bottle gourd rootstocks may be useful in areas where P. capsici is a recurring problem. The present study identified several commercial bottle gourd rootstocks with resistance to Phytophthora crown rot, and confirmed their levels of resistance using qPCR.

An insertion grafting technique to do research on salt tolerance was applied using watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Mansf. cv. Xiuli) as a scion and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Standl. cv. Chaofeng Kangshengwang) as a rootstock. Rootstock-grafting significantly relieved the inhibition of growth and photosynthesis induced by salt stress in watermelon plants. Proteomic analysis revealed 40 different expressed proteins in response to rootstock-grafting and/or salt stress. These proteins were involved in Calvin cycle, amino acids biosynthesis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, ROS defense, hormonal biosynthesis and signal transduction. Most of these proteins were up-regulated by rootstock-grafting and/or susceptible to salt stress. The enhancement of the metabolic activities of Calvin cycle, biosynthesis of amino acids, carotenoids and peroxisomes, glycolytic pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle will probably contribute to intensify the biomass and photosynthetic capacity in rootstock-grafted seedlings under condition without salt. The accumulation of key enzymes included in these biological processes described above seems to play an important role in the enhancement of salt tolerance of rootstock-grafted seedlings. Furthermore, leucine-rich repeat transmembrane protein kinase and phospholipase may be involved in transmitting the internal and external stimuli induced by grafting and/or salt stress.

The life cycle of a laboratory reared parthenogenic line of mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was investigated on six host plants ( Lagenaria siceraria var.clavata, Solanum tuberosum L. var. Kufri Chandramukhi, Praecitrullus fistulosus (Stocks) Pangalo var. MTNH1, Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca, Triticum aestivum L. var. Lokvan , H. rosa sinensis L.) at five constant temperatures (25, 29, 35, 38, 42 °C). The number of emerging crawlers and adults as well as weight of adults varied with host and temperature. P. fistulosus and H. rosa sinensis were suitable hosts for laboratory rearing of M. hirsutus . However, ease of maintenance of P . fistulosus to produce M . hirsutus under laboratory conditions is an additional advantage compared to using green plants such as H . rosa sinensis . Among the range of constant temperatures, 38 °C was found to be the most favourable for the development and survival of M. hirsutus . These results suggest that P. fistulosus fruits are suitable hosts for laboratory rearing and life cycle studies of M. hirsutus .

Studies on trichomes micromorphology using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were undertaken in 23 species with one variety under 13 genera of the family Cucurbitaceae (viz., Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn., Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, Cucumis melo var. agrestis Naudin, Cucumis sativus L., Diplocyclos palmatus (L.) C. Jeffrey, Edgaria dargeelingensis C.B. Clarke, Gynostemma burmanicum King ex Chakr., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Gynostemma pubescens (Gagnep.) C.Y. Wu, Hemsleya dipterygia Kuang & A.M. Lu, Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb., Luffa cylindrica M. Roem., Luffa echinata Roxb., Melothria heterophylla (Lour.) Cogn., Melothria leucocarpa (Blume) Cogn., Melothria maderspatana (L.) Cogn., Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw., Thladiantha cordifolia (Blume) Cogn., Trichosanthes cucumerina L., T. cucumerina var. anguina (L.) Haines, Trichosanthes dioica Roxb., Trichosanthes lepiniana (Naudin) Cogn. and T. tricuspidata Lour.). The trichomes in the family Cucurbitaceae vary from unicellular to multicellular, conical to elongated, smooth to ridges, with or without flattened disk at base and cyctolithic appendages, thin to thick walled, curved at apices to blunt. Trichomes micromorphology in the family Cucurbitaceae was found significant taxonomically.

Aim of study The objective of the study was to evaluate the cardioprotective activity of Lagenaria siceraria (LS) fruit powder in isoprenalin (ISO) induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Material and methods Male Wistar rats (200–230 g) were divided into four groups. Grp I: control, Grp II: isoprenalin (5.25 mg/kg, s.c. on day 50th and 8.5 mg/kg on day 51th), Grp III: LS fruit powder (500 mg/kg, p.o.) suspended in gum accacia (2%) for 49 days and isoprenalin (5.25 mg/kg, s.c. on day 50th and 8.5 mg/kg on day 51th), Grp IV: LS fruit powder (500 mg/kg, p.o.) for 51 days. On days 0 and 52nd blood was withdrawn by retro-orbital puncture for estimation of marker enzymes. Haemodynamic parameters were recorded. Animals were sacrificed and histology of vital organs was performed. Results Isoprenalin showed cardiotoxicity, manifested by increase in heart rate and serum marker enzyme. LS alone produced bradycardia. In LS pretreated rats isoprenalin neither increased heart rate nor produced the hypotensive effect. The histopathology of the heart showed myocardial damage by isoprenalin, damage was lower in LS + ISO pretreated rats. Conclusion It has been concluded that LS fruit powder (500 mg/kg) pretreatment for 51 days protects the heart of rats in isoprenalin-induced cardiotoxicity.

To investigate the feasibility of using salt tolerant rootstock to increase fruit yield and quality of cucumber under NaCl stress, a greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine fruit yield, leaf relative water content, fruit quality, and mineral composition of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jinchun No. 2), either self-grafted or grafted onto the commercial salt tolerant rootstock Figleaf Gourd (Cucurbita ficifolia Bouche) and Chaofeng Kangshengwang (Lagenaria siceraria Standl). Plants were grown in a substrate culture (peat:vermiculite:perlite = 1:1:1, v/v) and irrigated with half-strength Hoagland solutions containing 0, 30, or 60 mM NaCl. The results showed that salinity significantly reduced fruit yield of cucumber owing to a decrease both in mean fruit weight and fruit number. Rootstock had no significant effect on leaf relative water content. Plants grafted onto Figleaf Gourd and Chaofeng Kangshengwang had higher fruit number, marketable and total fruit yield than those of self-grafted plants under 0, 30, and 60 mM NaCl, which could be attributed to, at least in part, the higher K+ but lower Na+ and/or Cl− contents in the leaves. Salinity improved fruit quality by increasing fruit dry matter, soluble sugar, and titratable acidity contents of all the plants, but had no significant effect on vitamin C content. In comparison to the self-grafted plants, plants grafted onto Figleaf Gourd and Chaofeng Kangshengwang had an overall improved fruit quality under NaCl stress owing to an increase in contents of soluble sugar, titratable acidity, and vitamin C, and a decrease in the percentage of non-marketable fruit and Na+ and/or Cl− contents of fruits in comparison to the self-grafted plants, mainly under 60 mM NaCl. Overall, it is suggested that the use of salt tolerant rootstock could provide a useful tool to improve fruit yield and quality of cucumber under NaCl stress.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Lagenaria siceraria Stand. (Cucurbitaceae) fruits have been used, traditionally, in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic impasse and considered as cardioprotective and cardiotonic drug. Aim of the study The present work was undertaken to investigate the effects of methanolic extract from Lagenaria siceraria in experimentally induced hyperlipidemia in rats. Materials and methods Methanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria fruits (LSFE) (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg; p.o.) was administered to the high fat-diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats for 30 days to evaluate its antihyperlipidemic activity. Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg; p.o.) was used as a standard drug. Results At the 30th day, most significant reduction in lipid levels in the LSFE treated rats as compared to the rats fed with high-fat diet at the 0th day were: total cholesterol 290.14 ± 18.42 mg/dl vs. 228.58 ± 16.38 mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 195.14 ± 8.86 mg/dl vs. 120.57 ± 8.11 mg/dl, triglyceride 232.41 ± 15.22 mg/dl vs. 181.79 ± 15.68 mg/dl, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 46.48 ± 3.04 mg/dl vs. 36.35 ± 3.13 mg/dl (P

A water-soluble polysaccharide, isolated from fruiting bodies of Lagenaria siceraria, is composed of methyl-α- d -galacturonate, 3-O-acetyl methyl-α- d -galacturonate, and β- d -galactose in a ratio of nearly 1:1:1. Compositional analysis, methylation analysis, periodate oxidation, and NMR studies (1H, 13C, 2D-COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HMQC, and HMBC) revealed the presence of the following repeating unit in the polysaccharide: Download : Download full-size image This polysaccharide showed cytotoxic activity in vitro against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7).

Plant microfossil analysis was carried out on 12 soil samples from a variety of landscape features at three locations (100–250 m a.s.l.) along a 950 m transect at Te Niu, Easter Island. Pollen and phytolith assemblages were dominated by palms and ground ferns, and suggested disturbed forest. We identified pollen of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and starch grains of the common yam (Dioscorea alata), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and taro (Colocasia esculenta). The data suggest a mixed-crop, dryland production system at Te Niu dominated by yam and sweet potato, and supplemented by taro and bottle gourd. The data provide direct evidence of crop type and range, supporting the indirect evidence (topographic and landscape features, field and historical research, comparisons with elsewhere in the Pacific) that much of the rock covered landscape of Easter Island was used for intensive horticulture.

In this study, the effect of flooding on plant growth and photosynthetic activity of grafted watermelon were investigated. The watermelon [C itrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum and Nakai] cv. ‘Crimson Tide’ was grafted onto Lagenaria siceraria SKP (Landrace). Grafted and ungrafted watermelon plants were flooded at the soil surface for 20 days. For every 5 days, three plants were sampled to determine plant fresh and dry weight, leaf number and main stem length. Leaf colour, single leaf CO 2 exchange rate (CER), stomatal conductance (SC) and transpiration rate (Ts) were determined at 3 days interval. Flooding caused chlorosis on both grafted and ungrafted plants but such effect was more pronounced on ungrafted watermelon plants. CER, SC and Ts began to decrease from the 4th day of the flooding in both grafted and ungrafted plants as compared with non-flooded controls. However, grafted plants showed higher tolerance to flooding and had two-folds more CER, SC and Ts. Plant growth rate was also significantly lower in flooded plants than when compared to unflooded controls. Ungrafted plants had lower dry weight than grafted plants under flooding conditions. At the end of the experiment, decrease in fresh weight of plants was about 180% in ungrafted and 50% in grafted watermelons. Dry weight also decreased about 230% in ungrafted and 80% in grafted watermelons. Similar results were found in leaf number and main stem length. Adventitious roots and aerenchyma formation were observed in grafted watermelon but not in ungrafted watermelon under flooding. Adventitious root formation began from 3rd or 4th day of flooding and adventitious roots grew towards the soil surface. Flooding tolerance of watermelon could be improved by grafting onto L. siceraria .

We present direct microbotanical evidence from New Zealand of the prehistoric cultivation of four introduced Polynesian plants. Pollen, phytoliths, starch grains and xylem of bottle gourd ( Lagenaria siceraria ), paper mulberry ( Broussonetia papyrifera ), sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas ) and taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) have been identified. The microremains are from a range of locations (spanning 600 km) and were found in a variety of depositional settings, including sediment cores, and prehistoric agricultural structures and coprolites. The data identify combinations of early Polynesian crops, including both field- and tree-cropping systems, and provide the first direct field evidence of prehistoric taro cultivation in the South Island.

Pending the release of new genetic material with satisfactory resistance, grafting techniques may represent a quick, though expensive method for controlling race 1,2 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis in Italian growing regions of melon (Cucumis melo L.). We evaluated the potential of grafting for resistance to this pathogen in 13 commercial melon rootstocks and various Cucurbitaceae spp. and determined productivity and fruit quality characteristics of grafting on resistant rootstocks. Following inoculation, P360 and PGM 96-05 commercial rootstocks, as well as Benincasa hispida, Cucumis metuliferus, Cucumis ficifolius, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita moschata, and Lagenaria siceraria were resistant to the race 1,2 of Fusarium. Yield and quality attributes of scion cultivars (Supermarket and Proteo) grafted on P360 and PGM 96-05 rootstocks were not improved relative to ungrafted controls. Grafts onto B. hispida negatively influenced both yield and fruit quality, while C. metuliferus, and C. zeyheri had negative impacts on productivity and fruit quality, respectively. These results indicate that rootstock influences on disease resistance as well as productivity and quality of scion fruit are important in determining the potential utility of grafting applications.