Abstract
The main economic value of the Cucurbita species resides in the consumption of its immature fruits as vegetables, commonly known as summer squashes. The beneficial health effects of summer squash are attributed to their bioactive compounds, contributing positively to the daily nutritional intake and also protecting against some diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, accelerated aging, and some types of cancer. This chapter provides an overview of nutritional composition, antioxidant properties, as well as the health benefits of the eight summer squash morphotypes (pumpkin, vegetable marrow, cocozelle, zucchini, acorn, scallop, crookneck, and straightneck). We also highlight the influence of ripening stage, agronomic conditions, and environmental variation that can contribute to increase desirable summer squash attributes as well as the potential contribution to the required daily intake by compiling the most recent works found in the literature on this subject.
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