Importance of Certain Varieties of Cucurbits in Enhancing Health: A Review

• Published in: Foods Vol. 13; no. 8; p. 1142
• Main Authors: Romo-Tovar, Jaqueline, Belmares Cerda, Ruth, Chávez-González, Mónica L, Rodríguez-Jasso, Rosa M, Lozano-Sepulveda, Sonia A, Govea-Salas, Mayela, Loredo-Treviño, Araceli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.04.2024
• Subjects: Amino acids; Anticancer properties; Antioxidants; Antiviral activity; B cells; bioactivities; Biological activity; Blood; Carotene; Carotenoids; Classification; cucurbitaceae; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Dietary fiber; Dietary minerals; Dietary supplements; Enzymes; Flavonoids; Fruit; Fruits; Functional foods; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Hyperglycemia; Immunology; nutritional health; Phytochemicals; Polyphenols; Reviews; Seeds; therapeutic uses; Type 2 diabetes; Vernacular names; β-Carotene; India; cucurbitaceae; nutritional health; therapeutic uses; bioactivities
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods13081142

The Cucurbitaceae family is an extensive group of fruits and vegetables that exhibit common characteristics; for example, they are farmed on a global scale and exhibit a wide range of applications, including fresh consumption and use in various food and beverage products. As is frequent, many species or genera share a common name, and this can lead to some confusion when looking for information about a specific variety. In this review, we describe the findings about the biological activity, like antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties, of two genera of this family, and , which have been characterized and evaluated in several research studies and regarding which information is readily accessible. Those activities rely on the various physicochemical qualities and nutritional content of each variety, including factors like β-carotene and polyphenols, among others. The goal of this review is to provide a rapid search for each activity examined in the literature, enabling future research on their potential uses in functional foods and nutraceutical supplements.