Phytochemical Analyses of a Few Neglected and Underutilized Fruit Vegetables of Cucurbitaceae

Many of the plant species that are cultivated for food are neglected and underutilized while they play a crucial role in the food security, nutrition, and income generation of the rural poor. While these crops continue to be maintained by cultural preferences and traditional practices, they remain inadequately characterized and neglected by research and conservation. Three such members of the gourd family Cucurbitaceae (Sechium edule, Luffa cylindrica and Luffa acutangula) which are generally considered neglected and underutilized when compared to other fruit vegetables of Cucurbitaceae, were used for the present study. The fruits were tested for their total polyphenol content. The phenol content was found to be higher in Sechium edule (16.7mg GAE/g), followed by Luffa acutangula (12.3mg GAE/g) and Luffa cylindrica (13.5mg GAE/g). This can be considered as a very good indicator of their nutritional and medicinal values.