Cucurbitaceae Family Research Articles

Evaluation of Different Genotypes of Ridge Gourd for Better Growth, Yield and Quality under Prayagraj Agro-Climatic Conditions

Ridge gourd, scientifically known as Luffa acutangula, is a tropical vine that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. It is commonly grown for its young and tender fruits, which are used as a vegetable in cooking. It is known by various names, including Kalitori, angled gourd, angled loofah, silky gourd, and ribbed gourd. Ridge gourd has a chromosome number of 2n = 26. This versatile vegetable can be incorporated into a wide range of dishes, such as stir-fries, curries, soups, and stews, thanks to its mild and slightly sweet flavor. In the Kharif season of 2022. a study was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to assess the performance of different ridge gourd genotypes under the local agro-climatic conditions. The experiment followed a Randomized Block Design and involved nine genotypes with three replications each. The genotypes included G1 (IET 2021/RIGHYB-1), G2 (IET 2021/RIGHYB-2), G3 (IET 2021/RIGHYB-3), G4 (IET 2021/RIGHYB-4), G5 (IET 2021/RIGHYB-5), G6 (IET 2021/RIGHYB-6), G7 (IET 2021/RIGHYB-7), G8 (Dharidar-8), and G9 (Jaipuri Long-9).Based on the results of the experiment, it was determined that the genotype IET 2021/RIGHYB-5 exhibited the best performance in terms of growth parameters, such as vine length (222.10 cm) and early maturity, with the first fruit ready for picking in 60.00 days. It also excelled in yield parameters, including fruit length (25.03 cm), fruit diameter (5.65 cm), and fruit yield per plant (1528.31 g/plant). Additionally, IET 2021/RIGHYB-7 demonstrated outstanding performance in quality parameters, including Total Soluble Solids (TSS) at 4.23°Brix and Vitamin C content at 2.05 mg/100g.

Aquilaria sinensis: An Upstart Resource for Cucurbitacin Production Offers Insights into the Origin of Plant Bitter (Bi) Gene Clusters.

Cucurbitacins, oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenoids that are found mainly in the Cucurbitaceae family, play essential roles as defensive compounds, serving as allomones against herbivores and pathogens and as signals for insect-parasite recognition. These compounds also exhibit various pharmacological effects. The biosynthesis of cucurbitacins is largely regulated by the bitter (Bi) gene, encoding an oxidosqualene cyclase, which catalyzes the conversion of 2,3-oxidosqualene into cucurbitadienol, a common precursor for cucurbitacin synthesis. Previous studies focused on uncovering the Bi gene clusters in Cucurbitaceae, but their presence in other cucurbitacin-producing plants remained unexplored. Here, the evolutionary history of Bi genes and their clusters were investigated in twenty-one plant genomes spanning three families based on chemotaxonomy. Nineteen Bi genes were identified in fourteen Cucurbitaceae, four Begoniaceae, and one Aquilaria species. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the genome of Aquilaria sinensis contained the earliest Bi gene clusters in this dataset. Moreover, the genomic analysis revealed a conserved microsynteny of pivotal genes for cucurbitacin biosynthesis in Cucurbitaceae, while interspersed Bi gene clusters were observed in Begoniaceae, indicating rearrangements during plant Bi gene cluster formation. The bitter gene in A. sinensis was found to promote cucurbitadienol biosynthesis in the leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. This comprehensive exploration of plant Bi genes and their clusters provides valuable insights into the genetic and evolutionary underpinnings of cucurbitacin biosynthesis. These findings offer prospects for a deeper understanding of cucurbitacin production and potential genetic resources for their enhancement in various plants.

Cucurbitaceae Glycoside: An In-depth Review on its Source, Structural, and Medicinal Significance

Background: The Cucurbitaceae family has been well-known since ancient times for its use in daily food preparations. Various traditional medicinal systems have also recognized its therapeutic importance. Its significance has also been established by modern techniques. Objective: The current review aims to emphasize the glycosides of the Cucurbitaceae family in terms of their source, structures, extraction media, and bioactivities in various therapeutic areas like anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, and cardiac models. Glycosides of Cucurbitaceae have been studied extensively. However, considering the vastness of the diversity among this family; there are still various avenues in which further research work is needed. Methods: For the present review, we used Elsevier-ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, PubMed, ArticlesPlus, Semantic Scholar, and Google Scholar to conduct a literature search. Results: Cucurbitaceae is enriched with secondary metabolites, mainly glycosides. The occurrence of glycoside with its species, along with plant parts, is crucial and elaborately covered. It also captures the extraction system. The structure of selected glycosides is represented along with respective references. Various studies elaborate on the pharmacological significance of the extracts in diverse therapeutic areas. Conclusion: This review provides extensive aspects about the glycosides of the family Cucurbitaceae and will help in further exploration of extraction, isolation, and bioactivity studies of this important class of compounds from one of the largest families, i.e., Cucurbitaceae. It reiterates the need for further exploration in standardization along with extensive safety and efficacy studies.

Genetic bases of compact forms among cucurbit crops

The genetic base of compactness has been an area of active research in recent years, with several genes and mutations identified to be associated with the appearance of dwarf phenotypes. Understanding the functions of these genes and the underlying mechanisms of dwarfism in cucurbit crops is essential for developing new cultivars with improved yield and fruit quality. This study presents current data on genes and mutations associated with the evolvement of compact phenotypes in cucurbit crops. The review includes examples of mutant compact phenotypes and their associated genes in representatives of the Cucurbitaceae family, such as Cucurbita maxima Duch., Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbita moschata Duch., Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, and Cucumis melo L. The review provides up-to-date information on the genetic and molecular bases of compact phenotype formation, as well as molecular markers for detecting known genes associated with reduced plant size.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Thladiantha nudiflora Hemsl. ex F.B.Forbes & Hemsl. 1887 (Cucurbitaceae)

Thladiantha nudiflora Hemsl. ex F.B.Forbes & Hemsl. 1887 (Cucurbitaceae) has been widely known as a traditional medicine plant. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the complete chloroplast genome of T. nudiflora. The chloroplast genome of T. nudiflora is 156,824 base pair (bp) in length, containing a large single-copy region of 86,566 bp and a small single-copy region of 18,070 bp, separated by a pair of inverted repeats of 26,094 bp. The chloroplast genome contains 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding, 37 transfer RNA, and eight ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the chloroplast genome revealed that species of the genus Thladiantha were clustered together in the phylogenetic trees. This study will not only shed light on T. nudiflora’s evolutionary position but also provide valuable chloroplast genomic information for future studies into the origins and diversification of the genus Thladiantha and the Cucurbitaceae family.

From Sequencing to Genome Editing in Cucurbitaceae: Application of Modern Genomic Techniques to Enhance Plant Traits

The availability of genome-sequencing and genome-editing techniques has increased the applicability of innovative solutions, opening up revolutionary prospects for developments in horticultural plant breeding. The Cucurbitaceae family is a group of plants of great importance in horticulture due to their high nutritional and economic value. These plants serve as important models for elucidating the principles of plant development and refining yield improvement strategies. While traditional breeding approaches have made significant contributions to the production of cucurbits, they have also been limited by the reduced genetic diversity and lower rates of variation inherent in these species. This comprehensive review summarises the latest developments in genome editing in cucurbits. It covers various aspects of enhancing plant traits to resist biotic stresses such as pathogenic fungi and viruses, as well as abiotic stresses such as adverse climate change, especially stresses caused by drought and salinity. This study focused on improvements in plant quality and on the optimisation of plant architecture, sex determination of flowers and fruit features. This review provides insights that may hold great promise for the future of horticultural crop improvement and serves as an important reference for the advancement of genome-sequencing and gene-editing technologies in cucurbits.

Micropropagation of Chayote (Sechium edule L.) var. virens levis in RITA®.

Chayote (Sechium edule) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, an important family at the nutritional and medicinal levels, that has been covering international markets. Having vigorous and healthy plants is important for producers, who are very interested in cultivating chayote plants obtained from in vitro tissue culture in their orchards. Bioreactors have become an alternative with high potential for plant propagation, showing significant advantages over micropropagation in semisolid medium, by generating more plant material, larger, and more vigorous. In this chapter, a micropropagation protocol of S. edule in RITA® bioreactors is reported.

Assembly and evolutionary analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Trichosanthes kirilowii, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant.

Trichosanthes kirilowii (T. kirilowii) is a valuable plant used for both medicinal and edible purposes. It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. However, its phylogenetic position and relatives have been difficult to accurately determine due to the lack of mitochondrial genomic information. This limitation has been an obstacle to the potential applications of T. kirilowii in various fields. To address this issue, Illumina and Nanopore HiFi sequencing were used to assemble the mitogenome of T. kirilowii into two circular molecules with sizes of 245,700 bp and 107,049 bp, forming a unique multi-branched structure. The mitogenome contains 61 genes, including 38 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 20 tRNAs, and three rRNAs. Within the 38 PCGs of the T. kirilowii mitochondrial genome, 518 potential RNA editing sites were identified. The study also revealed the presence of 15 homologous fragments that span both the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes. The phylogenetic analysis strongly supports that T. kirilowii belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is closely related to Luffa. Collinearity analysis of five Cucurbitaceae mitogenomes shows a high degree of structural variability. Interestingly, four genes, namely atp1, ccmFC, ccmFN, and matR, played significant roles in the evolution of T. kirilowii through selection pressure analysis. The comparative analysis of the T. kirilowii mitogenome not only sheds light on its functional and structural features but also provides essential information for genetic studies of the genus of Cucurbitaceae.

Studies on Genetic Diversity in Muskmelon (Cucumis Melol.) Under Tropical Condition of Tamil Nadu, India

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most well-known dessert vegetables, belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. At Puthur village, Thalaivasal taluk, Salem district, from February to May 2022, a group of 33 germplasm lines were tested using a Randomised Block Design with three replications. The findings indicate that the clustering of genotypes revealed that Cluster I comprises highest number of genotypes (19) followed by cluster III comprising of 6 genotypes.Cluster IV had the greatest intra-cluster distance, which was followed by clusters II, III, I and V. The genotypes found in clusters IV and III had satisfactory values for the intercluster distance and the cluster mean. As a result, that genotype belongs to cluster IV, and cluster III may be utilised as parents in a hybridization programme to produce hybrids that are ideal for tropical climates.

Nutritional evaluation of Cucumic callosus - an underutilized crop of semi arid region of Haryana

Cucumus callosus, commonly known as wild melon or "kachri" in India, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. This study aims to evaluate the nutritional value of this underutilized crop. Kachri fruits vary in size, ranging from small to large, and are oval-shaped with a yellowish-green color. They start off sour and become sweet when ripe. These fruits are predominantly found in semiarid regions. The research findings indicate that the Mesocarp of Cucumis callosus contains a high protein content of 38.12% and an ash content of 9.02%. Recent studies have highlighted the health benefits of consuming wild edible plants, focusing on their antioxidant activity, which is essential for preventing and managing diseases. The antioxidant activity of Cucumis callosus ranges from 13.96 ± 0.47% to 31.68 ± 2.66%. Additionally, the total phenol content (TPC) is measured at 931.5 µg GAE/g original weight and 683 µg GAE/g original weight

Optimization of extraction conditions by the dosage of polyphenols and determination of antioxidant activity: Case of Melothria maderaspatana organs, a plant used in traditional African medicine for the treatment of diabetes

Melothria maderaspatana is a medicinal plant of Asian origin belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It has a wide range of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds. The leaves, roots and fruits are considered to have stomachic activities. It is a plant very rich in phenolic compounds, generally responsible for the biological activity of plants. In this study, we optimized the extraction parameters, including temperature, duration and solvent mass/volume ratio, by determining the total polyphenol contents and the antiradical activity at DPPH●. The Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was used to evaluate the content of phenolic compounds, with gallic acid as a reference. The determination of flavonoids with AlCl3 was carried out with quercetin as a reference. The DPPH● radical made it possible to measure the antioxidant power of the extract, with reference to Trolox. This study showed that the optimal conditions for extraction of bioactive molecules, responsible for antioxidant activity, are obtained for a temperature of 80 °C, for a period of 30 min in a ratio of 1 g for 50 mL of extraction solvent which is distilled water. Under these conditions, the contents of total polyphenols and flavonoids are evaluated for the other organs of the plant. The values obtained ​​show that the three parts of the plant contain approximately the same polyphenol contents and exhibit the same DPPH● antioxidant activity. As for the flavonoid content, the leaves are revealed to be the richest part, compared to the stems and fruits. These physicochemical indicators in secondary metabolites and biological activity justify the primary choice reserved for this plant by traditional practitioners for the treatment of numerous pathologies.

EVALUATION OF SOME CUCUMBER HYBRIDS (CUCUMIS SATIVUS L.) FOR QUALITY TRAITS

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a species of the Cucurbitaceae family cultivated mainly in protected areas in Romania. Cucumber fruits are sources of nutrients necessary for human health, and awarness of quality attributes can satisfy the demands of consumers who are becoming more informed lately. The aim of the study was to analyze of some quality indices in two hybrids of cucumbers, Amour F1 and Capricorn F1 grown in solar, on a soil mulched with black polyethylene film. The quality analyzes were performed immediately after harvesting, at technological maturity and were focused on: ph, titratable acidity, SSC, reducing sugars, glucose, fructose, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and flavonoids content. The results showed that the hybrid Amour F1 recorded higher values in terms of content in SSC, ascorbic acid and total phenolics and in mulched variants compared to the variantes without mulching.

Effect of Momordica cochinchinensis extract on locomotor function and brain antioxidant enzyme activity in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated zebrafish Parkinson’s disease model

BACKGROUND: Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. The red aril of Gac fruit contains high concentrations of carotenoids, including lycopene and beta-carotene. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Gac fruit aril extract on locomotor activities in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced zebrafish model and measure antioxidant enzyme activities in the zebrafish brain. METHODS: This study used adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an animal model. MPTP was used as a toxin to induce movement dysfunction in zebrafish, while the standard drug selegiline acted as a monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor. Locomotion was recorded on day 7 after MPTP induction using a digital video tracking system, and parameters related to zebrafish swimming, including total distance, velocity, and immobility, were observed. The brain tissue of the zebrafish was collected for antioxidant enzyme activity analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that Gac fruit extract at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg improved locomotor functions in MPTP-induced Parkinsonism in zebrafish. However, antioxidant enzyme activities, such as catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, in the zebrafish brain showed no significant differences among all groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide insights into the further research of Gac fruit extract as a nutraceutical for preventing Parkinson’s disease.

In Vitro Antiviral Potential of Cucurbitaceae Ecballium elaterium and Its Extract Containing Protease Inhibitors against Bovine Rotavirus

Bovine rotaviruses (BRVs) are significant causative agents of severe diarrhea in newborn calves, resulting in substantial economic losses in the livestock industry. Inhibition of bovine rotavirus using extracts prepared from a Cucurbitaceae plant, which contains trypsin protease inhibitors, might offer a potential anti-rotaviral effect in vitro. Ecballium elaterium (E. elaterium) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, indigenous to the Mediterranean, contains E. elaterium trypsin isoinhibitors (EETIso), and has been used in traditional medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of E. elaterium extract against bovine rotavirus infections. Ethanol extracts were prepared from E. elaterium seeds and fruit juice, and their non-toxic concentrations were determined using MA-104 cells. The cells were infected with bovine rotavirus in the presence of E. elaterium extract. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the rotavirus titer in vitro upon treatment with the E. elaterium extract, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent against bovine rotavirus-induced diarrhea in calves. The utilization of E. elaterium extract may contribute to reduced calf mortality, lower medication costs, and improved economic value in cattle farming.

Symptoms of Nitrogen and Iron Deficiency in Luffa

Luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca, synonym Luffa cylindrica) is a tropical and subtropical climbing plant belonging to the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae), natively cultivated in South and Southeast Asia. There are two main species of luffa grown in Florida: smooth luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca Mill.), primarily grown in small gardens and angled luffa (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.), basically grown for commercial production (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1285). It is commonly called sponge gourd, Egyptian cucumber, or Vietnamese luffa. Young fruits are edible and rich with nutritional and medicinal value (Partap et al. 2012; Azeez, Bello, and Adedeji et al. 2013). The mature fruit has strong fibrous insides, which can be used as natural porous fiber (Siqueira, Bras, and Dufresne 2010; Sivakandhan et al. 2020) for dishwashing or shower scrubbing. This publication is written for growers, state and county Extension faculty, and students interested in crop production.

Physicochemical and functional properties of pulp and pectin from agro-waste of three Cucurbitaceae species

Cucurbita pepo L., Citrullus lanatus T. and Cucumis melo L. belong to the family Cucurbitaceae and are cultivated for their seeds. The fruit pulp and peel are discarded as agro-waste after seed removal. This study evaluated the physicochemical and functional properties of the pulp and pectin extracts from the Cucurbitaceae species. Proximate, antioxidant, total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were determined. The purity, structural and sugar constituents of the extracted pectin were analysed using spectrophotometric techniques (NMR, FTIR and LCMS). Results showed that the pulp wastes had high carbohydrate content (28.4 to 69.7%) and demonstrated high antioxidant activities (40 to 50%, 63 to 85% and 0.2 to 0.4 mg mL−1 for DPPH, ABTS and FRAP respectively). Cucurbita pepo L. had the highest pectin yield (13.9%), and the purity of the pectin extracts ranged from 60.4 to 75.2% for total carbohydrate and 3.3 to 4.4 % for protein. The pectin extracts showed structural similarities. LCMS fingerprints of the pectin extracts showed that the monosaccharides comprised of mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose and fucose. The polymers demonstrated high water absorption capacities (309 g/100 g to 604 g/100 g) and can be applied as thickeners in food systems.

Phytophthora capsici genome assembly for two isolates using long-read Oxford Nanopore Technology sequencing.

The oomycete Phytophthora capsici is a common pathogen of the Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae families. An improved assembly for the reference isolate LT1534 was constructed using Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Illumina data. Additionally, an unpolished assembly was produced for the European isolate Pc285 collected on chili pepper using Oxford Nanopore reads.

Investigation of the effects of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis as Bio-agents against powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) disease in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Fungi, bacteria, and viruses cause highly devastating diseases in species of the Cucurbitaceae family. Powdery mildew, a fungal disease, is one of the most important diseases of cucurbits. The pathogen, Podosphaera xanthii, is the most common causal agent of powdery mildew disease within cucurbits. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the combined formulations of two biological agents, B. subtilis and B. thuringiensis, in combating powdery mildew disease, which represents a significant threat to C. pepo cultivation in Kayseri, Türkiye. The efficacy of six different treatments in controlling the disease agent P. xanthii was evaluated in susceptible zucchini genotypes. It was found that full-dose bacteria dilution application, before and after powdery mildew infection, as well as three- and five-fold bacteria dilutions application significantly prevented (1–2 scale value) powdery mildew disease on infected zucchini plants than the control application. There was a decrease in vegetative growth in the control-treated crops while plant growth increased significantly in bacterial-treated crops. Also, our findings showed that combined formulations made from Bacillus subtilis (61.29e and 3.3a strains) and Bacillus thuringiensis (2B3-1 and 2B2-2 strains) significantly increased the synthesis of plant defense enzymes such as DPPH, antioxidant, proline production, total phenolic substance, and total flavonoid content. The application of B + PM resulted in the highest enzyme contents, quantified as follows: 22.91 mg AAE/g antioxidant, 2.01 mg/g KU proline, 10.03 mg GAE/g TPC, and 7.756 mg CE/g TFC. These enzymes may have played vital roles in triggering zucchini defense mechanisms, thereby significantly preventing powdery disease in the bacteria-treated crops.

Assessment of growth and early maturation traits in various genotypes of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)

The success of any breeding programs depends on the parents chosen. Breeders select parents with high mean values as an added benefit for crossing programmes. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the performance of muskmelon genotypes for growth and earliness attributes. Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most well-known desert vegetables, belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. Thirty-three germplasm lines were collected from different regions of India. The experiment was conducted at Puthur village, Salem district, and evaluated under Randomised Block Design with three replications during February to May 2022. The findings indicate that the genotypes CM 2, CM 16, CM 11, CM 19, CM 7, CM 13 and CM 22 reported as elite genotypes were exhibited higher values for different traits like days to first female flower opening, first female flowering node, number of vines per plant, vine length (cm), sex ratio and days to first fruit harvest. As a result, the above mentioned seven genotypes are used in the hybridization programme, could be exploited to develop elite cultivars with maximum growth and earlier in flowering and harvest.

Characterization And Yield Testing Of Two Prospective Varieties And Three Comparative Varieties Of Kyuri Cucumber (Cucumis Sartivus L.) In The Highlands

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one type of vegetable from the cucurbitaceae family that has been grown by farmers in Indonesia. The research was conducted for 4 months from September 23 to December 13, 2022 in one of the experimental fields owned by PT Aditya Sentana Agro. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the 2 candidate varieties CI-88 and CI-87 of kyuri cucumber tested would show significant differences in characters from 3 comparison varieties F1 MK 01, F1 MK 02, F1 MK 03 and to determine whether the results obtained from the 2 candidate varieties CI-88 and CI-87 of kyuri cucumber to be used as varieties and produced. This study consisted of 2 genotypes of hybrid variety candidates CI-88 and CI-87 and 3 comparison varieties namely F1 MK 01, F1 MK 02 and F1 MK 03 which were used as treatments. The three comparison varieties were used because they were in high demand in the market so that they had a high selling value and had a good response from farmers. Qualitative characteristics observed were stem shape, leaf shape, flower color, fruit shape, fruit skin color, fruit flesh color, and fruit taste test. The results of observations of qualitative character traits are presented in the form of tables and picture documentation. The results of quantitative characterization observations include stem diameter, fruit weight per plant, fruit weight per fruit, fruit diameter, fruit length, number of fruits per plant, leaf width, leaf length, age from flowering and age from harvest. The results of the two candidate varieties tested have the opportunity to be developed and registered as new varieties because the results obtained are comparable to the comparator varieties already on the market..