Cucurbita

Absidia glauca, Cunninghamella blakesleeana, Cunninghamella sp., Fusarium solan f. sp. cucurbitae, and Rhizopogon sp. 

Chenopodium quinoa (quinoa) Citrullus vulgaris (watermelon) Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin)... 

Azevedo-Meleiro CH and Rodriguez-Amaya DB. 2007. Qualitative and quantitative differences in carotenoid composition among Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita pepo. J Agric Food Chem 55 4027 1033. 

Cucurbitine (47) is the active principle from the seeds of Cucurbita moschata Duch., which are used in Chinese folk medicine. The structure of this unique a-amino acid was established through a combination of chemical and spectroscopic techniques (81, 82). A single-crystal X-ray analysis of the perchlorate of cucurbitine has confirmed the original hypothesis and has established the absolute configuration of 47 (83). 

Cucurbitine was later found in several species of Cucurbita, including the seeds of the common pumpkin (84, 85). It inhibited the growth of immature Schistosoma japonica in vitro and appeared to be promising in the treatment of bilharziasis. 

The reported use in the Middle East of the seeds of Cucurbita species as tenifuge (198) was traced back to the imino acid cucurbitine (47 (81). 

Figure 1, Scanning electron micrograph of a cross section of a dormant, hexane-treated seed of Cucurbita digitata. Note outer seed coats, two cotyledons (C), and central cleft that contains first "true" leaves between the cotyledons. Bar represents 1 mm.

Figure 2. Scanning electron micrograph of a mesophyll cell of a dormant cotyledon of Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima). Tissue was fixed in aqueous glutaraldehyde, dehydrated with ethanol and critically point dried. Note cell wall (W) and intracellular components including protein bodies (P) and emptied spherosomes that appear as a cytoplasmic reticulum.

Figure 3. Transmission electron micrographs of mesophyll cells of dormant cotyledons of A, Cucurbita foetidissima B, Cucurbita pepo C, Cucurbita palmata D, Cucurbita digitata E, Apodanthera undulata" Note cell wall (W), protein body (P), spherosome (S), globoid (G), and crystalloid (X). In each micrograph, the bar represents five microns. Reproduced from reference 14.

Zucchini, marrow, summer squash Cucurbita pepo)... 

Gourd, winter squash, pumpkin below, left and right) Cucurbita moschata, C. pepo, C.maxima)... 

T. B. Osborne and S. H. Clapp. Hydrolysis of the Crystalline Globulin of the Squash Seed (Cucurbita maxima). Amer. J. Physiol., 1907, 19, 475-481. 

SR109 Odenthal, K. P. Phytotherapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with Cucurbita, Hypoxis, Pygeum, Urtica and Sabal serrulata (Serenoa repens). Phytother Res 1996 10 S141-S143. 

Two new taraxeranes (190) and (191) have been isolated from Quercus bambusaefolia. ° Isomultiflorenone (192) and isomultiflorenol acetate (193) are new natural products from Cucurbita lundelliana and Vernonia fasciculata respectively. Studies on the allylic oxidation and bromination of taraxeryl acetate (194) and on the Lewis acid-catalysed rearrangement of (194) and friedelanol have been reported. 

Inducible systems of defense (phytoalexins) are widespread in plants and are effective against many types of fungi and bacteria (37,38). Similar systems have been demonstrated in a few cases with insects and are probably common in nature (see for example reference 39). Although Inducible systems of insect resistance would seem to be efficient and effective, no system is foolproof. The larvae of Epilachna tredecimnotata cut a circular trench in Cucurbita leaves and prevent mobilization of the deterrent substances to the area which is then consumed (40). 

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