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Background: Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is sometimes used in complementary medicine practice for the treatment of chronic ailments. However, there have been reports of toxicity due to consumption of bottle gourd juice, leading to severe abdominal upset and upper gastrointestinal bleeding., Case Report: We present a case of a 41-year-old gentleman who presented to the Emergency Department with multiple episodes of vomiting, hematemesis, and diarrhea after consuming bottle gourd juice. The patient was resuscitated and stabilized with fluids, proton pump inhibitors, and antiemetics. He was subsequently admitted to the General Medicine ward for further management. He continued to receive symptomatic treatment in the ward and underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy during his hospitalization stay. His symptoms improved and he was discharged stable 5 days later. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Early recognition of this rare presentation of bottle gourd toxicity is important in our local context, especially where traditional medicine is widely prevalent nowadays. Treatment is supportive. Public awareness of dangerous effects from the consumption of bitter bottle gourd juice and complementary medicine without proper consultation with a practitioner plays a crucial role to prevent further cases. Physicians need to advise patients on the use of traditional medicine and their potential side effects., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.) more...

Lagenaria siceraria ( Cucurbitaceae ) is traditionally known to be used for the treatment of diabetes, ulcer, jaundice, cardiovascular disease, hemorrhoids, and colitis. This study involves evaluation of acute and subacute toxicity of methanolic extract of L. siceraria fruit (MELSF) in rats for assessment of its safety profile. For acute oral toxicity, single dose (2000 mg/kg body weight) of extract was administered in female Wister rats while in the subacute study the extract was given at doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg orally over 28 d in male and female rats. No evidence of toxicity was observed in animals when acutely exposed to MELSF, implying that the LD 50 is higher than 2000 mg/kg body weight. Further, repeated administration of the extract for 28 d did not alter any hematological and biochemical parameters and no significant changes were observed in organ and body weight of control and treated groups. Histopathological assessment was normal in kidney and liver. Thus, the present investigation shows that MELSF, at dosage levels up to 1000 mg/kg, is nontoxic and can show protection of some body tissues when administered for 28 d and therefore can be considered safe. This study supports the application of L. siceraria in traditional medicine. more...

Herbal remedies have been employed for the treatment and management of different diseases for ages. Herbal medicines are a promising choice over modern synthetic drugs because of their low side effects and are thus considered to be safe and effective in treating human diseases. Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standley fruit (Bottle gourd) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family that has been used in a different system of traditional medication to treat various diseases. This is a domestic plant that provides food as well as medication. This vegetable have low caloric values and high water contents. The edible portion of it contains phytochemicals like vitamins, proteins, choline, minerals, terpenoids, flavonoids, etc. Several bioactive compounds have been isolated from L. siceraria, including triterpenoids, sterols, cucurbitacins, flavones, C-glycosides and β-glycosides. Researchers have evaluated various parts of this plant viz. fruit, root, flowers, and leaves for pharmacological activities like antianxiety, antidepressant, diuretic, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antihyperlipidemic, cardio protective, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, anti-hyperglycemic, antihepatotoxic, anti-urolithiatic, antistress, antiulcer, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant. In this review, an attempt has been made to explore its phytochemical constituents, traditional, medicinal, and pharmacological uses to highlight the therapeutic importance of this well-known plant. This would be helpful in reviving its importance and will highlight its several promising aspects to encourage researchers for further research on L. siceraria., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.) more...

The bottle gourd ( Lagenaria siceraria ) is an important horticultural and medicinal crop with high nutritional value. This study aimed at examining the molecular regulation of fruit size in bottle gourd. We performed transcriptome sequencing of two bottle gourd cultivars differing in their fruit size. The average fruit length and weight of the cultivar Hang (39.48 cm/624.4 g) were higher than those of the cultivar USA (10.34 cm/152.8 g) at maturity. Transcriptome sequencing and assembly resulted in 89,347 unigenes. A total of 1250 differentially expressed genes (DEG) were found between the two cultivars, including 422 upregulated genes and 828 downregulated genes in Hang as compared to USA. Genes related to cell wall metabolism, phytohormones, cell cycle, and cell division showed significant differential expression between the two cultivars. DEGs encoding transcription factors (TF) from nine TF families were also identified. The ethylene response factor family was the most enriched among these families. Our study provides a basis for further investigations of the molecular regulation of fruit size in bottle gourd. more...

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is an important vegetable crop as well as a rootstock for other cucurbit crops. In this study, we report a high-quality 313.4-Mb genome sequence of a bottle gourd inbred line, USVL1VR-Ls, with a scaffold N50 of 8.7 Mb and the longest of 19.0 Mb. About 98.3% of the assembled scaffolds are anchored to the 11 pseudomolecules. Our comparative genomic analysis identifies chromosome-level syntenic relationships between bottle gourd and other cucurbits, as well as lineage-specific gene family expansions in bottle gourd. We reconstructed the genome of the most recent common ancestor of Cucurbitaceae, which revealed that the ancestral Cucurbitaceae karyotypes consisted of 12 protochromosomes with 18 534 protogenes. The 12 protochromosomes are largely retained in the modern melon genome, while have undergone different degrees of shuffling events in other investigated cucurbit genomes. The 11 bottle gourd chromosomes derive from the ancestral Cucurbitaceae karyotypes followed by 19 chromosomal fissions and 20 fusions. The bottle gourd genome sequence has facilitated the mapping of a dominant monogenic locus, Prs, conferring Papaya ring-spot virus (PRSV) resistance in bottle gourd, to a 317.8-kb region on chromosome 1. We have developed a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker tightly linked to the Prs locus and demonstrated its potential application in marker-assisted selection of PRSV resistance in bottle gourd. This study provides insights into the paleohistory of Cucurbitaceae genome evolution, and the high-quality genome sequence of bottle gourd provides a useful resource for plant comparative genomics studies and cucurbit improvement., (© 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

Lifestyle and dietary modifications have contributed much to somatic genetic alteration which has concomitantly led to increase in malignant diseases. Henceforth, plant based and dietary interventions to mitigate and impede oncogenic transformation are in great demand. We investigated the latex sap (LSL) of the dietary Lagenaria siceraria vegetable, the first domesticated plant species with the potent lectin activity for its functional role against the tumor progression and its mechanism. LSL has markedly stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes and displayed strong cytotoxic activity against cancer both in-vitro and in-vivo. The tumor regression was paralleled with drastic reduction in tumoral neovasculature as evidenced from angiogenic parameters and abrogated related gene expressions. LSL has also triggered apoptotic signaling cascade in cancer cells through activation of caspase-3 mediated activation of endonuclease and inducing apoptotic cellular events. Collectively our study provides tangible evidences that latex sap from L. siceraria with immunopotentiating ability significantly regresses the tumor progression by targeting angiogenesis and inducing cell death., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Background and Aims: Thousands of floor mosaics were produced in lands across the Roman and Byzantine empires. Some mosaics contain depictions of agricultural produce, potentially providing useful information concerning the contemporary presence and popularity of crop plants in a particular geographical region. Hundreds of floor mosaics produced in Israel during the Byzantine period have survived. The objective of the present work was to search these mosaics for Cucurbitaceae in order to obtain a more complete picture of cucurbit crop history in the eastern Mediterranean region., Results and Conclusions: Twenty-three mosaics dating from 350-600 ce were found that had images positively identifiable as cucurbits. The morphological diversity of the cucurbit fruits in the mosaics of Israel is greater than that appearing in mosaics from any other Roman or Byzantine provincial area. The depicted fruits vary in shape from oblate to extremely long, and some are furrowed, others are striped and others lack definite markings. The cucurbit taxa depicted in the mosaics are Cucumis melo (melon), Citrullus lanatus (watermelon), Luffa aegyptiaca (sponge gourd) and Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd). Cucumis melo is the most frequently found taxon in the mosaics and is represented by round dessert melons and long snake melons. Fruits of at least two cultivars of snake melons and of watermelons are represented. To our knowledge, images of sponge gourds have not been found in Roman and Byzantine mosaics elsewhere. Indeed, the mosaics of Israel contain what are probably the oldest depictions of Luffa aegyptiaca in Mediterranean lands. Sponge gourds are depicted often, in 11 of the mosaics at eight localities, and the images include both mature fruits, which are useful for cleaning and washing, and immature fruits, which are edible. Only one mosaic has images positively identifiable as of bottle gourds, and these were round-pyriform and probably used as vessels., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...

Aim: 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., 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., Results: 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., Conclusion: 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., (Copyright © 2014 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

The study validated the antidyslipidemic, antioxidant, and antihyperglycemic effects of Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract in human subjects with dyslipidemia along with subjects of normal health. A total of 200 mL of freshly prepared Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract was administered daily on empty stomach for 90 days. Significant reductions (P < .01) were found in triglycerides and total cholesterol levels in blood. Cardiac risk ratio, atherogenic coefficient, and atherogenicity index of plasma were also improved. Appreciable reductions in body mass index (P < .01) and blood pressure (systolic P < .01, diastolic P < .05) along with a significant reduction (P < .05) in fasting blood glucose levels were also observed in these subjects. Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity in dyslipidemic subjects as evident from elevations in SOD (P < .05) and GSH levels (P < .01) with marked improvement in catalase (P < .01) and TBARS levels (P < .05). Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds. Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract serves as dietary adjunct in treatment of human dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. more...

Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq), a next-generation sequencing-based genome 'complexity reduction' protocol, has been useful in population genomics in species with a reference genome. However, the application of this protocol to natural populations of genomically underinvestigated species, particularly under low-to-medium sequencing depth, has not been well justified. In this study, a Bayesian method was developed for calling genotypes from an F₂ population of bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.] to construct a high-density genetic map. Low-depth genome shotgun sequencing allowed the assembly of scaffolds/contigs comprising approximately 50% of the estimated genome, of which 922 were anchored for identifying syntenic regions between species. RAD-Seq genotyping of a natural population comprising 80 accessions identified 3226 single nuclear polymorphisms (SNPs), based on which two sub-gene pools were suggested for association with fruit shape. The two sub-gene pools were moderately differentiated, as reflected by the Hudson's F(ST) value of 0.14, and they represent regions on LG7 with strikingly elevated F(ST) values. Seven-fold reduction in heterozygosity and two times increase in LD (r²) were observed in the same region for the round-fruited sub-gene pool. Outlier test suggested the locus LX3405 on LG7 to be a candidate site under selection. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the cucumber genome region syntenic to the high FST island on LG7 harbors an ortholog of the tomato fruit shape gene OVATE. Our results point to a bright future of applying RAD-Seq to population genomic studies for non-model species even under low-to-medium sequencing efforts. The genomic resources provide valuable information for cucurbit genome research., (© 2013 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

The antioxidant properties of different extracts of Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd) fruit were evaluated. In the process, a new phenolic glycoside (E)-4-hydroxymethyl-phenyl-6-O-caffeoyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) was isolated and identified together with 1-(2-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl)-phenyl-6-O-caffeoyl-β-d-gluco-pyranoside (2), protocatechuic acid (3), gallic acid (4), caffeic acid (5) and 3,4-dimethoxy cinnamic acid (6). Their structures were elucidated by extensive NMR experiments including (1)H-(1)H (COSY) and (1)H-(13)C (HMQC and HMBC) spectroscopy and chemical evidences. The antioxidant potential of the compound 1 and 2 was tested in different in vitro assay systems such as free radical scavenging assay, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay, superoxide scavenging activity, reducing power assay and linoleic acid peroxidation assay., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family of flowering plants, is a very large and diverse family, the order Cucurbitales, contains 95 genera and 950–980 species of food and ornamental plants, and wild and weedy species mostly with high genetic diversity. This review is focused on the most important cucurbit crops (Cucumis sativus, Cucumis melo, Cucurbita spp., Citrullus lanatus, Momordica charantia, Lagenaria siceraria, and Luffa acutangula) and some their wild relatives as hosts of cucurbit powdery mildews (CPM). Powdery mildews (PM) (Ascomycota, Erysiphales) are one of the most frequently encountered and easily visible groups of plant pathogenic fungi with > 900 species. They are obligate biotrophs, they colonize above-ground plant tissues, mostly leaves, though they may also colonize stems, petioles, flowers and fruits, and they are usually debilitators, not killers. These parasitic fungi have been problematic on cucurbits for a long time world-wide, causing serious economic losses in yield and quality. All economically important cucurbit crops host CPM. Seven PM species with different taxonomic positions, host ranges, geographic distributions and ecological requirements are known on cucurbits. CPM species taxonomy and denomination rapidly changed during last few decades through detailed analyses and clarifications. At least three PM species frequently parasitize cucurbits: the endoparasite Leveillula taurica (Lt) with marginal economic importance; and two ectoparasitic species, Golovinomyces orontii (Go), and Podosphaera xanthii (Px), which are economically important world-wide. The two pathogens differ in ecological requirements and distribution, though they may occur together in mixed infections. They are highly variable at the population level for virulence, race identities, and fast adaptation of pathogens. Cucurbit-CPM species interactions are diverse and complicated, and differ between hosts and their respective pathogen genera and species. Here we present a critical overview of obstacles, gaps and recent progress in these matters for six cucurbit genera with respect to resistance resources, genetics of resistance, genetic mapping and development of molecular markers, physiology and mechanisms of resistance, developments in mlo-mediated resistance, patents, and CPM resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Drying food is an effective method to preserve fruits and vegetables, increasing their shelf life and preventing germination. Bottle gourds, known for their high nutritional value, can rot quickly due to their high moisture content, causing biochemical and microbial changes. To improve shelf life, moisture can be removed to prevent microbial activity. Different drying methods are used to preserve gourd family vegetables for long periods and off-season. Indirect solar drying shields foods from UV rays, dust, insects, and other contamination by avoiding direct exposure. This study aimed to utilize an indirect solar dryer to research the potential for drying bottle gourds and conduct physicochemical analyses for the dried products to compare the drying techniques. In this experiment, different samples of bottle gourd slices were dried using an indirect solar dryer and compared with sun and shade drying. Under physicochemical properties, moisture content (MC), retention of color, thickness, and shrinkage of dried samples were analyzed and compared. The result showed that the time taken to reach 10% moisture was 13 h for samples dried with sun drying. While shade and indirect solar drying took 17 h. The Midilli-Kucuk model outperforms other approaches for drying bottle gourd, with the greatest R2 values (0.9967, 0.9950, 0.9936) and the lowest RMSE values (0.0182, 0.0220, 0.0277) for direct sun, shade, and indirect solar drying, respectively. The indirect sun dryer showed good color retention compared to the fresh bottle gourd samples with L* value of 44.08, b* value of 15.40 and a* value of 7.01. The volumetric shrinkage was 97.64% in the direct sun drying method after 15 h, which is higher compared to sun and shade dryers due to the effect of time and temperature. In addition, there was a significant difference (p-value <0.05) between the thickness of the three drying methods. The use of indirect solar drying methods can be highly recommended to get high-quality dried food with zero energy cost. For future studies it is recommended to enhance the function and design of the indirect solar dryer to speed up drying times and improve the quality of dried samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Cucurbitaceous crops, one of the main crops of agriculture, are sensitive to many plant viruses. In August 2019, virus-like symptoms were observed on some cucurbit plants grown in private home gardens in Antalya and Denizli provinces (Turkey). A total of 53 leaf samples were sampled from plants with the most symptoms (melon (Cucumis melo L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.), bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.), and snake melon (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus) and tested by Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) against possible watermelon mosaic potyvirus (WMV) infection. The coat protein gene (CP) specific primer sets amplified a gene product of nearly 820 bp fragment from symptomatic plants. WMV infections were detected in 31 individual cucurbit plants, including 11 melons, 8 watermelons, 7 snake melons and 5 bottle gourds. The presence of viral infection was found only in ornamental squash plants in Antalya province and in all cucurbits sampled in Denizli province. To better comprehend the molecular characteristics of virus isolates, the amplified viral DNA fragments were cloned in a proper prokaryotic plasmid, sequenced by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and recorded to GenBank. Bioinformatic analyses using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) showed that the identified CP gene sequences exhibited significant nucleotide homogeneity, supported by a high nucleotide similarity index with that of other isolates around the world. In addition, Turkish isolates isolated from Antalya and Denizli regions showed approximately 94% nucleotide similarity among themselves. For phylogenetic inference, WMV sequences were subjected to multiple alignments with isolates from different geographic origins of the same viruses. Molecular phylogeny showed that all WMV isolates are closely related to other world WMV isolates at variable rates. WMV is wide host range viruses in cucurbit crops, however, this work is the first scientific report of WMV isolates detected in bottle gourd and snake melon from the South and West Regions of Turkey all over the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

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Cucumber moth Diaphania indica (Saunders) is an oligophagous pest of several cucurbitaceous crops. The occurrence of the pest was noted during the phenological stages of the pre-flowering stage, flowering and early fruiting stages of cucumber, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, pumpkin, bottle gourd, and snake gourd. Regarding the damage in the various cucurbits, significantly higher damage was recorded in cucumber during the pre-flowering (63.78, 57.18%, respectively) and fruiting stages (51.12 to 43.90% respectively); and lower damage was seen in the flowering stages (48.91 and 48.91%, respectively) during the first and second seasons, respectively. All the crop stages viz., pre-flowering (54.96 and 42.16%, respectively), flowering (53.27 and 39.07% respectively) and fruiting (51.40 and 40.40%, respectively) were equally susceptible to the pest in bitter gourd during the first and second seasons, respectively. The pest was maximum in the fruiting stage (42.09, 31.09; 41.77, 39.97%, respectively) and pre-flowering stage (39.06, 28.0; 40.99 34.99%, respectively); and it was low during the flowering stage (20.75, 18.25; 33.90, 29.08%, respectively) in snake gourd and ridge gourd during the first and second seasons, respectively. Contrarily, in pumpkin and bottle gourd maximum damage was seen in the pre-flowering stage (37.34, 22.34; 24.18, 14.08%, respectively) compared to other stages like flowering (22.09, 10.11; 10.98, 7.98%, respectively) and fruiting stage (19.47, 9.34; 7. 34, 5.04%, respectively) during the first and second seasons, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The present research investigates host preferences and larval development of the melon ladybird Chnootriba elaterii (Rossi) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), considering seven Cucurbitaceae plant species (Citrullus lanatus, Cucumis melo, Cucumis sativus, Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita moschata, Lagenaria siceraria and Luffa aegyptiaca), to determine whether mother host preference is related with larval performance. The damaged area on plant leaves due to insect feeding in dual‐choice experiments was used to evaluate food preferences. Behavioural experiments in a Y‐tube olfactometer tested the role of olfaction in host‐plant selection. Parameters such as development duration and morphometric characters of emerged adults were evaluated to estimate larval performance. Adult females selected watermelon and melon as their favourite food while firmly refusing loofah and calabash. Insects preferred melon over watermelon, but the larval development on melon was slower; moreover, watermelon allowed larvae to develop faster than other tested plants, while loofah did not allow larval development. Larvae fed and developed on melon, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber and calabash, without strong differences. These results only partially supported the preference‐performance hypothesis suggesting that it could be context dependent. Contrary to expectation, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) belonging to the host, only partially could guide adult females in the olfactometer. This result suggests that long‐distance olfactory stimuli alone cannot provide sufficient information for host‐plant selection in melon ladybirds. Considering the economic relevance of C. elaterii, the results of the present paper answer some basic questions about host‐plant selection for this pest insect, potentially useful to improve control strategies in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The concentration of phenolic compounds is researchable using chemotaxonomy as a valuable approach to studying the pharmacological potential of different crop plants. In line with this, the objective of the constructive study was to investigate the phenolic compounds concentration in 10 taxa belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, earlier cultivated in mid-February 2021 at the College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq. The taxa included Cucurbita pepo Linnaeus, Cucurbita maxima Duchesne, Lagenaria siceraria L.C.V. Local Molina, Lagenaria siceraria L.C.V. Syria Molina, Cucumis sativus Linnaeus, Cucumis melo Linnaeus, Cucumis melo flexuosus Linnaeus, Citrullus lanatus (Thumberg) Matsum and Nakai, Citrullus colocynthis Schrader, and Luffa cylindrica Mill. Analyzing these compounds helped to gain a deeper understanding of the chemical composition of these plants, which may contribute to identifying their medicinal properties and potential applications in the field of pharmacology. The analysis of leaves of these taxa ran through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for 14 phenolic compounds, i.e., Apigenin, Catechin, Epicatechin, Kaempferol, Luteolin, Quercetin, Rutin, and Caffeic, Chlorogenic, Ferulic, Gallic, Hydroxy benzoic, P-coumaric, and Vanillic acids. A comprehensive study analyzed 10 taxa belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae using HPLC, revealing their heterogeneity and significant variations in the content and concentration of various phenolic compounds. The results of this analysis unveiled the identification of 14 compounds, primarily relying on the presence of standard material. Notably, the main component observed in this study was caffeic acid, showcasing its potential utility for taxonomists and pharmacologists and addressing diverse taxonomic challenges. These findings hold promising implications for the field, offering valuable insights into the intricate world of Cucurbitaceae and opening avenues for further research and application. Results further confirmed that the leaves of Cucurbitaceae plants are rich sources of nutrients and can significantly contribute to nutrient requirements and human health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Incidence of viral diseases on different cucurbits (bottle gourd, sponge gourd, cucumber, muskmelon, pumpkin and watermelon) was recorded during this study. Maximum incidence of sixty per cent was observed on muskmelon crop followed by cucumber with incidence of fifty seven per cent whereas, minimum viral disease incidence of 24.1 per cent was observed on watermelon crop. The infected plants showing different types of symptoms like yellowing, mosaic, puckering, blistering, leaf deformation, leaf curl, necrosis, vein banding and interveinal chlorosis, etc. were collected and subjected for virus identification using Double Antibody Sandwich-Enzyme linked Immunnosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA) and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Four viruses, namely Cucumber mosaic virus-I (CMV-I), Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) and begomovirus were found to be associated with different cucurbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Turkey is among the top 10 producers of cucumber, melon, watermelon, and squash in the world. Lately, seed-borne viruses have become a major issue in greenhouse and field-grown cucurbits. In this study, the incidence of kyuri green mottle mosaic virus (KGMMV) was determined in seeds from various species (cucumber, melon, watermelon, summer squash, bottle gourd, winter squash) of Cucurbitaceae. KGMMV detection in a total of 20 seed lots of each cucurbit species was done by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and RT-PCR. The highest virus incidence was 45% in melon followed by 25% in cucumber and 10% in squash. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of KGMMV in cucurbit crops in Turkey and this highlights the potential risk of KGMMV to commercial cucurbit seed lots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Plant structural defenses such as trichomes exert a significant selection pressure on insect herbivores. However, whether variation in structural defense traits affects common herbivores in related plant species is less understood. Here, we examined the role of trichomes in plant–herbivore interactions in two commonly cultivated members in Cucurbitaceae: bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and cucumber (Cucumis sativa). In common garden experiments when the two species were grown together, we observed that they differed in their attractiveness to four major herbivore species (Trichoplusia ni, Acalymma vittatum, Diaphania indica, and Anasa tristis) and, consequently, their feeding behavior. We found that L. siceraria consistently harbored less herbivores, and the two lepidopteran herbivores (T. ni and D. indica) were found to take significantly longer time to commence feeding on them, a primary mode of pre-ingestive defense function of trichomes. To tease apart structural and chemical modes of defenses, we first used scanning electron microscopy to identify, quantify, and measure trichome traits including their morphology and density. We found that C. sativa has significantly lower number of trichomes compared to L. siceraria, regardless of trichome type and leaf surface. We then used artificial diet enriched with trichomes as caterpillar food and found that trichomes from these two species differentially affected growth and development of T. ni showing cascading effects of trichomes. Taken together, we show that trichomes, independent of chemical defenses, are an effective pre- and post-ingestive defense strategy against herbivores with negative consequences for their feeding, growth, and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The Cucurbitaceae family comprises economically valuable vegetables such as cucumber, melon, and pumpkin. GRAS proteins, which are crucial transcription factors, play diverse roles in plant growth and development. However, comparative investigations of GRAS proteins across Cucurbitaceae species are limited. Here, we identified 241 GRAS family genes in six cucurbit crops. The number of GRAS genes in cucumber, melon, wax gourd, watermelon, and bottle gourd ranged from 36 to 37, while the pumpkin genome contained 57 GRAS genes, possibly due to a recent whole-genome duplication. We classified cucurbit GRAS genes into 16 subfamilies and identified species-specific motifs and specific-expression patterns in the SCLB and RAD1 subfamilies. Notably, we identified 38 tissue-specific expressed genes, particularly fruit-specific genes potentially involved in fruit development. Additionally, we predicted the role of GRAS genes in regulating hypocotyl elongation under weak or dark light conditions in cucurbit plants. These findings enhance our understanding of the characteristics, evolution, and potential functions of GRAS genes in six cucurbit crops, providing valuable resources for genetic research in the Cucurbitaceae family as well as important agronomic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Species of the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) are responsible for the Fusarium wilt disease of melon (Cucumis melo), a major disease of this crop in Iran. According to a recent taxonomic revision of Fusarium based primarily on multilocus phylogenetic analysis, Neocosmospora, a genus distinct from Fusarium sensu stricto, has been proposed to accommodate the FSSC. This study characterized 25 representative FSSC isolates from melon collected in 2009–2011 during a field survey carried out in five provinces of Iran. Pathogenicity assays showed the isolates were pathogenic on different varieties of melon and other cucurbits, including cucumber, watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and bottle gourd. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of three genetic regions, including nrDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S nrDNA large subunit (LSU) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), Neocosmospora falciformis (syn. F. falciforme), N. keratoplastica (syn. F. keratoplasticum), N. pisi (syn. F. vanettenii), and Neocosmospora sp. were identified among the Iranian FSSC isolates. The N. falciformis isolates were the most numerous. This is the first report of N. pisi causing wilt and root rot disease in melon. Iranian FSSC isolates from different regions in the country shared the same multilocus haplotypes suggesting a long-distance dispersal of FSSC, probably through seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Cucurbitaceae comprises 800 species, the majority of which are known for their nutritive, economic, and health-promoting effects. This study aims at the metabolome profiling of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) fruits in a comparative manner for the first time, considering that both species are reported to exhibit several in-common phytochemical classes and bioactivities. Nevertheless, bottle gourd is far less known and/or consumed than cucumber, which is famous worldwide. A multiplex approach, including HR-UPLC/MS/MS, GNPS networking, SPME, and GC/MS, was employed to profile primary and secondary metabolites in both species that could mediate for new health and nutritive aspects, in addition to their aroma profiling, which affects the consumers' preferences. Spectroscopic datasets were analyzed using multivariate data analyses (PCA and OPLS) for assigning biomarkers that distinguish each fruit. Herein, 107 metabolites were annotated in cucumber and bottle gourd fruits via HR-UPLC/MS/MS analysis in both modes, aided by GNPS networking. Metabolites belong to amino acids, organic acids, cinnamates, alkaloids, flavonoids, pterocarpans, alkyl glycosides, sesquiterpenes, saponins, lignans, fatty acids/amides, and lysophospholipids, including several first-time reported metabolites and classes in Cucurbitaceae. Aroma profiling detected 93 volatiles presented at comparable levels in both species, from which it can be inferred that bottle gourds possess a consumer-pleasant aroma, although data analyses detected further enrichment of bottle gourd with ketones and esters versus aldehydes in cucumber. GC/MS analysis of silylated compounds detected 49 peaks in both species, including alcohols, amino acids, fatty acids/esters, nitrogenous compounds, organic acids, phenolic acids, steroids, and sugars, from which data analyses recognized that the bottle gourd was further enriched with fatty acids in contrast to higher sugar levels in cucumber. This study provides new possible attributes for both species in nutrition and health-care fields based on the newly detected metabolites, and further highlights the potential of the less famous fruit "bottle gourd", recommending its propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The OVATE gene family is a class of conserved transcription factors that play significant roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress, and also affect fruit shape in vegetable crops. Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), commonly known as calabash or gourd, is an annual climber belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Studies on bottle gourd OVATE genes are limited. In this study, we performed genome-wide identification of the OVATE gene family in bottle gourd, and identified a total of 20 OVATE family genes. The identified genes were unevenly distributed across 11 bottle gourd chromosomes. We also analyzed the gene homology, amino acid sequence conservation, and three-dimensional protein structure (via prediction) of the 20 OVATE family genes. We used RNA-seq data to perform expression analysis, which found 20 OVATE family genes to be differentially expressed based on spatial and temporal characteristics, suggesting that they have varying functions in the growth and development of bottle gourd. In situ hybridization and subcellular localization analysis showed that the expression characteristics of the LsOVATE1 gene, located on chromosome 7 homologous to OVATE, is a candidate gene for affecting the fruit shape of bottle gourd. In addition, RT-qPCR data from bottle gourd roots, stems, leaves, and flowers showed different spatial expression of the LsOVATE1 gene. The ectopic expression of LsOVATE1 in tomato generated a phenotype with a distinct fruit shape and development. Transgenic-positive plants that overexpressed LsOVATE1 had cone-shaped fruit, calyx hypertrophy, petal degeneration, and petal retention after flowering. Our results indicate that LsOVATE1 could serve important roles in bottle gourd development and fruit shape determination, and provide a basis for future research into the function of LsOVATE1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Preference for two species of pumpkin beetles, i.e. Aulacophora foveicollis (Lucas) and Aulacophora intermedia (Jacoby) (Galerucidae: Coleoptera) towards six cucurbitaceous hosts were evaluated at the Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India. In the field evaluation, the population of A. foveicollis was the highest in pumpkin (12.83 adults/ plant) and least in snake gourd (0.61 adults/ plant). However, the population of A. intermedia was the maximum in bottle gourd (11.89 adults/ plant) and was least in bitter gourd (5.17 adults/ plant). In the laboratory free choice test, A. foveicollis preferred pumpkin, while A. intermedia preferred ridge gourd. Bitter gourd was the least preferred by both species. A similar preference pattern was observed in the confinement test also. Orientation assay using an olfactometer revealed that preference towards different hosts by A. foveicollis was bottle gourd> pumpkin >ridge gourd, cucumber >snake gourd > bitter gourd, and that of A. intermedia was ridge gourd > bottle gourd > pumpkin > cucumber > snake gourd > bitter gourd. The maximum number of trichomes recorded on the bottle gourd was followed by the snake gourd, whereas less trichome density was recorded on the cucumber. Trichome density had a significant positive correlation with the A. intermedia population and a non-significant negative correlation with A. foveicollis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This research examined the histological micro-structure of tendril vasculature in cucurbitaceous taxa. In this research, the tendril anatomy of 17 taxa of Cucurbitaceae categorized into seven genera, including Cucumis (five species), Cucurbita and Luffa (three species each), Citrullus and Momordica (two species each) while Lagenaria and Praecitrullus (one species each), collected from different areas of the Thal desert were examined via microscopic imaging to explore its taxonomic significance. Tendril transverse sections were cut with a Shandon Microtome to prepare slides. The distinctive characteristics of taxonomic value (qualitative and quantitative) include tendril and vascular bundle shape, variation in the number of vascular bundles, tendril diameter length, layers of sclerenchyma, and shape of collenchyma and epidermal cells. Tendril shapes observed are irregular, slightly oval-shaped, slightly C shaped, angular (4-angled, 6-angled, or polygonal), and star shaped. Quantitative measurements were taken to analyze the data statistically using SPSS software. Cucurbita pepo had a maximum tendril diameter length of 656.1 µm and a minimum in Momordica balsamina of 123.05 µm. The highest number of vascular bundles (12) were noticed in Luffa acutangula var.amara. Angular type was prominent in collenchyma, and irregular shape was dominant in sclerenchyma cells. A maximum of seven to nine sclerenchyma layers were present in Lagenaria siceraria and a minimum of two or three layers in Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis, Cucumis melo var. flexuosus, and Cucumis melo var.cantalupensis. Epidermis cells also show great variations with a rectangular shape being dominant. Statistical UPGMA dendrogram clustering of tendril vasculature traits shows that histological sections studied with microscopic techniques can be used to identify species and will play a vital role in future taxonomic and phylogenic linkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In spring 2018, melon (Cucumis melo L.) plants with wilting of the leaves and dry rot of the crowns were observed in Dashti county, Bushehr province, southern Iran. Nine fungal isolates were recovered from the symptomatic crowns. Based on the morphological characteristics and DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal RNA gene, the fungus was identified as Paramyrothecium foliicola L. Lombard and Crous. The pathogenicity of the isolates was confirmed on melon under greenhouse conditions to fulfil the Koch's postulates. Host range determination showed except for pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata L.) and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria L.), several other cucurbit crops exhibited high disease incidence. To our knowledge, this is the first report of crown dry rot of melon caused by P. foliicola in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Gibberellic acid-stimulated in Arabidopsis (GASA), a unique small molecular protein of plants, plays an essential role in plant growth and development. The GASA family genes have been identified and studied in many plants. However, the identification of GASA gene family in Cucurbitaceae species has not been reported yet. Therefore, in this study, based on the available genome information on the Cucurbitaceae species, the GASA family genes in 10 Cucurbitaceae species including cucumber (Cucumis sativus), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), melon (Cucumis melo), pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica), bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), chayote (Sechium edule), and snake gourd (Trichosanthes anguina) were identified with bioinformatics methods. To understand the molecular functions of GASA genes, the expression pattern analysis of cucumber GASA family genes in different tissues and stress responses were also analyzed. The results showed that a total of 114 GASA genes were identified in the 10 Cucurbitaceae species, which were divided into three subfamilies. Synteny analysis of GASA genes among cucumber, Arabidopsis and rice showed that nine cucumber GASA genes were colinear with 12 Arabidopsis GASA genes, and six cucumber GASA genes were colinear with six rice GASA genes. The cis-acting elements analysis implied that the cucumber GASA genes contained many cis-elements associated with stress and hormone response. Tissue-specific expression analysis of cucumber GASA family genes revealed that only the CsaV3_2G029490 gene was lowly or not expressed in all tissues, the CsaV3_3G041480 gene was highly expressed in all tissues, and the other seven GASA genes showed tissue-specific expression patterns. Furthermore, nine cucumber GASA family genes exhibited different degrees of regulatory response under GA, abiotic and biotic stresses. Two cucumber GASA genes, CsaV3_3G042060 and CsaV3_3G041480, were differentially expressed under multiple biotic and abiotic stresses, which indicated that these two GASA genes play important roles in the growth and development of cucumber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study aimed to investigate the effects of grafting on the fatty acid profile and some physicochemical properties of watermelon seed and seed oil. The 'Crimson Tide' cultivar was used as the scion while two wild watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (A1 and A2)), one Lagenaria siceraria (A3) and one Cucurbita maxima Duchesne x Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (A4) were used as rootstocks. The use of rootstock significantly influenced the fatty acid profile and the physical parameters of seeds and seed oils. The highest linoleic acid ratio was found in the seed oil from A1 and A2, the oil from A3 had the highest oleic acid ratio. The results showed that the content and acid value in seed oils were improved, and that total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of both seed and oil were decreased by grafting. Wild rootstocks can be used in watermelon cultivation to obtain a watermelon seed which is rich in linoleic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Cucurbit seeds including Lagenaria siceraria seeds have been used from early times as a source of food. The protein constitutes about thirty-five percent of the weight of the decorticated seeds. Isolates are defined as the kind of protein that forms with a high concentration of protein that contains no dietary fiber. This study aims to investigate the preparation of protein isolated from Lagenaria siceraria defatted seed flour and to study their physicochemical properties. Protein was isolated from seed flours by using distilled water, salt solution, an alkaline solution, then precipitated with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid followed by centrifugation and freeze-drying. The findings reflected a high protein content (ranged from 80.67-91.04 g 100g-1) with the absence of fats. The functional properties of the protein isolate are said to be acceptable exhibiting a considerable range for all examined properties, water holding capacity 2.4-3.9 mL g-1 protein, fat binding ability 2.7-3.7 mL g-1 protein, emulsion capacity 51.0-57.8 mL of oil per g of protein, and bulk density 0.39-0.56 g mL-1, for all samples. The results of foaming stability indicated that the seeds were possibly utilized in food applications such as beverages and cakes processing. The maximum protein solubility (95%) occurred at the alkaline range pH 10 and11. The SDS page test detected that the three major polypeptides are those with molecular weights 10, 23, and 38 KDa. This study is the first to take place on the protein isolation from eight Lagenaria siceraria defatted seeds grown in Sudan, opening the way for further studies on these seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley, is a top ranked important vegetable crop in Bangladesh. Recently, bottle gourd production in the north eastern part of Bangladesh has reduced greatly by the infestation of an invasive beetle species. This study is the very first report that confirmed the species as sap beetle, Epuraea sp. (Erichson) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) (Accession No: MW256489.1) by molecular barcoding. It was observed that Epuraea sp. has spread in all the four districts viz. Sylhet, Habiganj, Sunamgonj and Maulvibazar of the north eastern part of Bangladesh. This beetle caused the pollination failure in bottle gourd by consuming the pollens voraciously from the male flowers. Just after blooming of bottle gourd flowers, Epuraea sp. adults attacked the male flowers and fed almost all the pollens and also damaged the stamens. In severe cases these beetles also fed the pollens on the stigma of female flowers that carried by the other pollinators. The mean numbers of beetles per male and female flowers were 6.4 ± 1.02, 1.8 ± 0.37, 2.0 ± 0.44, 2.6 ± 0.55 and 1.6 ± 0.24, 0, 0, 1.4 ± 0.2 in Sylhet, Habiganj, Sunamgonj and Maulvibazar, respectively. Eventually, this infestation occurred 29.6 to 52.6% fruit setting reduction by this pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

YABBY transcription factors play important roles in plant growth and development. However, little is known about YABBY genes in Cucurbitaceae. Here, we identified 59 YABBY genes from eight cucurbit species, including cucumber (C. sativus L.), melon (C. melon L.), watermelon (C. lanatus), wax gourd (B. hispida), pumpkin (C. maxima), zucchini (C. pepo L.), silver-seed gourd (C. argyrosperma), and bottle gourd (L. siceraria). The 59 YABBY genes were clustered into five subfamilies wherein the gene structures and motifs are conserved, suggesting similar functions within each subfamily. Different YABBY gene numbers in eight cucurbit species indicated that gene loss or duplication events exist in an evolutionary process across Cucurbitaceae. The cis-acting elements analysis implied that the YABBYs may be involved in plant development, and phytohormone, stress, and light responses. Importantly, YABBY genes exhibited organ-specific patterns in expression in cucumber. Furthermore, a gene CsaV3_6G038650 was constitutively expressed at higher levels at different fruit development stages and might play a crucial role in cucumber fruit development. Collectively, our work will provide a better understanding for further function identifications of YABBY genes in Cucurbitaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

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Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an important enzyme that serves as the first line of defense in the plant antioxidant system and removes reactive oxygen species (ROS) under adverse conditions. The SOD protein family is widely distributed in the plant kingdom and plays a significant role in plant growth and development. However, the comprehensive analysis of the SOD gene family has not been conducted in Cucurbitaceae. Subsequently, 43 SOD genes were identified from Cucurbitaceae species [ Citrullus lanatus (watermelon), Cucurbita pepo (zucchini), Cucumis sativus (cucumber), Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd), Cucumis melo (melon)]. According to evolutionary analysis, SOD genes were divided into eight subfamilies (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII). The gene structure analysis exhibited that the SOD gene family had comparatively preserved exon/intron assembly and motif as well. Phylogenetic and structural analysis revealed the functional divergence of Cucurbitaceae SOD gene family. Furthermore, microRNAs 6 miRNAs were predicted targeting 3 LsiSOD genes. Gene ontology annotation outcomes confirm the role of LsiSODs under different stress stimuli, cellular oxidant detoxification processes, metal ion binding activities, SOD activity, and different cellular components. Promoter regions of the SOD family revealed that most cis -elements were involved in plant development, stress response, and plant hormones. Evaluation of the gene expression showed that most SOD genes were expressed in different tissues (root, flower, fruit, stem, and leaf). Finally, the expression profiles of eight LsiSOD genes analyzed by qRT-PCR suggested that these genetic reserves responded to drought, saline, heat, and cold stress. These findings laid the foundation for further study of the role of the SOD gene family in Cucurbitaceae. Also, they provided the potential for its use in the genetic improvement of Cucurbitaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Since time immemorial, humans have devised means to improvise for survival on the planet earth. The environment has been the source of materials for manufacturing objects that have supported human existence. These materials include plants (plant parts and by-products) such as the Cucurbitaceae species. Aim: To discuss bottle gourd and some selected species of Cucurbitaceae in relation to the history, sociocultural and spiritual lives of the West African people. Methodology: A literature search was conducted on electronic databases such as Google Scholar , Google Books , Scopus , and Web of Science. The search was performed using several terms and free text words, combining them in an appropriate manner. The authors further set inclusion and exclusion criteria to screen for relevant articles. Results and discussion: Plants play crucial roles in the global economic, social, cultural, and spiritual stability. Several plant families have especially played a fundamental role(s) in the spiritual and cultural ceremonies, and history of many tribes and communities in Africa. This is because entertainment tools such as rattles, drums, harps, and lutes used during most of these ceremonies are often by-products of plants. This study revealed that Cucurbitaceae family is a spectacular class of plants with such roles. Traditional musical instruments derived from bottle gourd, Telfairia occidentalis and Momordica charantia, form an integral part of the history, spiritual and sociocultural life of some West African communities. Conclusion: The history of some tribes in West Africa is linked to specific Cucurbitaceae species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Geminiviruses infect many crop plants, and are limiting factors for vegetable crop production. Begomoviruses (Geminiviridae) cause typical symptoms of leaf curling and puckering in nightshade (Solanum nigrum), a seasonal weed in Bihar, India. To investigate if nightshade was an intermediate host for begomovirus, virus DNA was extracted and characterized. The DNA-A of the virus yielded 2737 nt and DNA-B yielded 2706 nt. The intergenic region (IR) showed a conserved nonanucleotide sequence that potentially forms a stem-loop structure. The genomic sequence of DNA-A shared 94% identity with that of Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV)-ivy gourd isolate. However, the sequence of DNA-B showed 95% identity with a bitter gourd isolate. PCR-based detection revealed the presence ToLCNDV in bottle gourd, pumpkin, sponge gourd, and bitter gourd. The IR sequences of the viruses isolated from these cucurbits and tomato were 100% identical. Whitefly-mediated transmission of the virus to cucurbits and tomato from nightshade was also demonstrated. These results indicate that nightshade may act as reservoir of ToLCNDV, and is involved in developing epidemics in cucurbit species. The strain of ToLCNDV has probably adapted from solanaceous to cucurbitaceous hosts. This is the first report of ToLCNDV infecting nightshade in India, highlighting this virus as a possible cause of disease epidemics in economically important cucurbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Melon (Cucumis melo) is one of the top 10 fruits in the world, and its production often suffers due to soil-borne diseases. Grafting is an effective way to solve this problem. However, graft incompatibility between scion and rootstock limits the application of melon grafting. In this study, the melon was grafted onto eight Cucurbitaceae species (cucumber, pumpkin, melon, luffa, wax gourd, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, and watermelon), and graft compatibility evaluation and anatomical observation were conducted. Taking melon homo-grafted plants as control, melon grafted onto cucumber and pumpkin rootstocks was compatible, while melon grafted onto luffa, wax gourd, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, and watermelon rootstocks was incompatible based on the scion dry weight on day 42 after grafting. Meanwhile, we found that starch–iodine staining of scion stem base is an index to predict graft compatibility earlier, on day 14 after grafting. Further, microsection observations showed that there was more cell proliferation at graft junction of melon hetero-grafted combinations; vascular reconnection occurred in all graft combinations. However, excess callose deposited at graft junction resulted in the blockage of photosynthate transport, thus, leading to starch accumulation in scion stem base, and finally graft incompatibility. In addition, undegraded necrotic layer fragments were observed at graft junctions of melon grafted onto incompatible bitter gourd and watermelon rootstocks. The above results provide clues for the selection and breeding of compatible Cucurbitaceae rootstocks of melon and demonstrate that starch accumulation in scion base and callose deposition at graft junction is associated with melon graft compatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Melon fruit fly, Bacterocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) is a serious pest of many vegetables, especially cucurbits. To manage this notorious pest, the experiments were designed to evaluate the most effective method of pest control. The field experiments in bottle gourd, sponge gourd, Indian squash and bitter gourd were designed in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) having 16 treatments with 5 replications each. Basically, there were five treatments; T1= Untreated control, T2 = Spinosad (Tracer), T3= Cue-lure, T4= Protein hydrolysate, T5 = Trybliographa daci. Furthermore, combinations of these treatments were designed to find out the most effective combination. The results revealed that among the solo treatments, the plots sprayed with chemical (T2 = Tracer) had least number of infested fruits (29.75±2.69) while in combine treatments, the most effective treatment was T16 (Tracer + Protein hydrolysate + cuelure + T. daci) with 2.00±0.41 infested fruits. Moreover, the highest punctures fruit-1 were recorded in control plot (23.25±2.21) cultivated with Bottle gourd whereas, the least punctures were found in bitter ground (1.05±0.38) cultivated plot. On the basis of results obtained from the current study, it can be concluded that the combination of different treatments can significantly reduce the infestation caused by melon fruit fly. Moreover, the researchers and government organizations should provide the biological agents and convince the farmers to use IPM methods for healthy vegetable with high yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

SUMMARY: The bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria, Cucurbitaceae) is an important horticultural crop exhibiting tremendous diversity in fruit shape. The genetic architecture of fruit shape variation in this species remains unknown. We assembled a long‐read‐based, high‐quality reference genome (ZAAS_Lsic_2.0) with a contig N50 value over 390‐fold greater than the existing reference genomes. We then focused on dissection of fruit shape using a one‐step geometric morphometrics‐based functional mapping approach. We identified 11 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for fruit shape (fsQTLs), reconstructed their visible effects and revealed syntenic relationships of bottle gourd fsQTLs with 12 fsQTLs previously reported in cucumber, melon or watermelon. Homologs of several well‐known and newly identified fruit shape genes, including SUN, OFP, AP2 and auxin transporters, were comapped with bottle gourd QTLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Pollination ecology of many crops is not fully known, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Non‐bee pollinators may contribute substantially to crop yield, even if they do not receive much attention. Although moth pollination has fascinated ecologists and evolutionary biologists since Darwin, crop pollination by moths has not been well investigated and experimentally examined. Hence, we explored the pollination ecology of four cucurbit crops with crepuscular or nocturnal flowers. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb., Trichosanthes anguina L., and Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. all display floral traits suggestive of moth pollination, such as opening around dusk or in evenings and secreting ample dilute nectar. We demonstrated that these crops' flowers attracted a wide range of moth species, especially hawkmoths. The assemblage of flower‐visiting moths varied according to location and season. Pollination treatments and pollen load analysis confirmed the pollination of the four crops by moths, especially hawkmoths. Our results provide evidence for the value as wild pollinators for the four crops, for which domesticated bees cannot provide reliable pollination services in practice. This study lends support to the proposal to pay more attention to the value of non‐bee pollinators and to leave some areas unexploited in rural landscapes for the conservation of wild pollinators, including moths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study aimed to produce buffalo patties formulated with different types of squashes and gourds as fat substitutes. Kabocha squash, butternut squash, chayote squash, snake gourd and bottle gourd from the Cucurbitaceae family were used as the fat substitutes and buffalo meat patties with animal fat were the control. All patties were analysed and statistically compared in terms of physical properties and sensory acceptance. Generally, the moisture content, water holding capacity, cooking yield significantly increased for all samples compared to the control. The fat content reduced significantly below 3% for all fat-substituted patties, thus they can be regarded as low-fat. All fat-substituted samples were lighter in colour, with a harder texture than the control but the sensory analysis showed that the colour, texture, juiciness, flavour and overall acceptability of the fat-substituted patties were no different from the control. In conclusion, all the squashes and gourds tested were suitable as fat substitutes to produce low-fat buffalo patties, with chayote squash having the highest potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: The aim of the experimental study was to explore antidiarrheal activity of ethanolic peel & petiole extract of L. siceraria (family: Cucurbitaceae) in a mice model. Study Design &; purpose: 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg B. W ethanolic peel and petiole extracts were subjected to different swiss albino mice models to authenticate dose dependant antidiarrheal property of the plant. Methodology: In vivo antidiarrheal activity was performed by castor oil (0.5 ml/mice) induced method according to weight of wet stool and number of wet stool. 100 mg/kg & 200 mg/kg doses of ethanolic peel and petiole extract of L. siceraria was run in six groups mice model in comparison to standard Loperamide (5mg/kg B.W). Castor oil in saline solution was used as negative control group. Results:According to weight of wet stool ethanolic peel extract has confirmed highly significant antidiarrheal activity at 100 & 200 mg/kg B.W by inhibiting gastric motility by 63.41% (***P<0.001) & 90.24% (***P<0.001) accordingly whereas petiole part inhibited 80.48% (*P<0.05) & 85.37% (*P<0.05) diarrheal prevention was confirmed for people at same doses as compared to the 5mg/kg B.W Loperamide (92.68%; ***P<0.001). Based on no. of wet stool 100 & 200 mg/kg B.W ethanolic peel extract illustrated highly significant antidiarrheal activity by 68.89% (***P<0.001) & 86.67% (***P<0.001) accordingly whereas petiole inhibited gastric motility by 82.22% (*P<0.05) & 91.11% (*P<0.05) respectively in cmparison to Loperamide (95.56%; ***P<0.001). Conclusion: The attained results of the present study confirms antidiarrheal of the L. siceraria that could be a methodical basis for the expected & well-founded consumption of this plant as a curative agent for diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Phloem Protein 2 (PP2), highly abundant in the sieve elements of plants, plays a significant role in wound sealing and anti-pathogenic responses. In this study, we report the purification and characterization of a new PP2-type lectin, BGL24 from the phloem exudate of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria). BGL24 is a homodimer with a subunit mass of ~24 kDa and exhibits high specificity for chitooligosaccharides. The isoelectric point of BGL24 was estimated from zeta potential measurements as 5.95. Partial amino acid sequence obtained by mass spectrometric studies indicated that BGL24 exhibits extensive homology with other PP2-type phloem exudate lectins. CD spectroscopic measurements revealed that the lectin contains predominantly β-sheets, with low α-helical content. CD spectroscopic and DSC studies showed that BGL24 exhibits high thermal stability with an unfolding temperature of ~82 °C, and that its secondary structure is essentially unaltered between pH 3.0 and 8.0. Fluorescence titrations employing 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D- N , N′ , N″ -triacetylchitotrioside as an indicator ligand revealed that the association constants for BGL24-chitooligosaccharide interaction increase considerably when the ligand size is increased from chitotriose to chitotetraose, whereas only marginal increase was observed for chitopentaose and chitohexaose. BGL24 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, whereas its effect on normal splenocytes was marginal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Cucurbit plants usually are sensitive to chilling and easily damaged. Although bottle gourds, which are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, are considered as fresh vegetables in some Asian countries, their main use in recent years is to be used as rootstocks in grafted watermelon cultivation. We tested 163 bottle gourd accessions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) genebank for cold tolerance in the early seedling stage. The experiment was conducted using controlled environment chambers with 3 chilling durations (36, 48, and 60 hours) at 4 8C. Chilling damage was rated 0 to 9 (0 = no damage, 1 to 2 = trace of damage, 3 to 4 = slight damage, 5 to 6 = moderate damage, 7 to 8 = advanced damage, 9 = plant totally dead). We rated damage separately for the cotyledons, true leaf, and growing point. Cold damage was higher at a chilling duration of 60 hours, and decreased at 48 and 36 hours. Most tolerant cultigens were PI 491272, PI 491280, PI 491281, PI 491286, and PI 491326. Most susceptible were PI 381845, PI 381846, PI 534556, PI 636137, and PI 668365. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Raw seeds of Citrullus Lanatus (Thumb), Citrullus Lanatus (Thunb), Lagenaria Siceraria and Cucumeropis Manni (Naud melon) were processed into flour and a portion of it was fermented. The proximate, mineral and anti-nutrient contents of both raw and fermented melon flour samples were analysed using standard methods and the effect of fermentation on the melon seed varieties used for Ogiri production was studied. Significant changes were observed in the nutrient compositions of the samples as results obtained showed that fermentation increased significantly (p=0.05) the moisture, crude fat, crude fibre and most importantly crude protein contents while carbohydrate value decreased significantly across the melon seeds analysed. An increase in the content of vital minerals such as zinc, iron and calcium was observed following fermentation with Calcium being the most abundant mineral among others analysed in both raw (0.38-0.59)mg/100g and fermented melons (1.76-2.24)mg/100g. Of the three anti-nutrients analysed, phytates and tannin were respectively the highest and lowest in both raw and fermented samples but they all were reduced significantly following fermentation. It was concluded that fermentation has a positive nutritive effect on the melon seeds analysed as it improved the nutrient and reduced the anti-nutritional compositions and these changes observed could have been facilitated by the enzymatic activities of the fermenting organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) consist of three varieties. Type 1 RIPs are single-chained and approximately 30-kDa in molecular weight. Type 2 RIPs are double-chained and composed of a type 1 RIP chain and a lectin chain. Type III RIPs, such as maize b-32 barley and JIP60 which are produced as single-domain proenzymes, possess an N-terminal domain corresponding to the A domain of RIPs and fused to a C-terminal domain. In addition to the aforementioned three types of RIPs originating from flowering plants, there are recently discovered proteins and peptides with ribosome-inactivating and protein synthesis inhibitory activities but which are endowed with characteristics such as molecular weights distinctive from those of the regular RIPs. These new/unusual RIPs discussed in the present review encompass metazoan RIPs from Anopheles and Culex mosquitos, antimicrobial peptides derived from RIP of the pokeweed Phytolacca dioica, maize RIP (a type III RIP derived from a precursor form), RIPs from the garden pea and the kelp. In addition, RIPs with a molecular weight smaller than those of regular type 1 RIPs are produced by plants in the Cucurbitaceae family including the bitter gourd, bottle gourd, sponge gourd, ridge gourd, wax gourd, hairy gourd, pumpkin, and Chinese cucumber. A small type II RIP from camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) seeds and a snake gourd type II RIP with its catalytic chain cleaved into two have been reported. RIPs produced from mushrooms including the golden needle mushroom, king tuber mushroom, straw mushroom, and puffball mushroom are also discussed in addition to a type II RIP from the mushroom Polyporus umbellatus. Bacterial (Spiroplasma) RIPs associated with the fruitfly, Shiga toxin, and Streptomyces coelicolor RIP are also dealt with. The aforementioned proteins display a diversity of molecular weights, amino acid sequences, and mechanisms of action. Some of them are endowed with exploitable antipathogenic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...