Gourd Family

Pumpkin, Curcubita sp., is a member of the gourd family, Curcubitaceae, that also includes melons, cucumbers, squash, and gac. In 2003, the United States production of pumpkins was approximately 335,000 MT (http //usda.mannlib.comell.edu/ reports/nassr/fruit/pvg-bban/vgan0104.txt). In some mid-eastem African countries, dried pumpkin seeds have been used to treat tapeworm when eaten on an empty stomach (53). Also, for many years in Europe, pumpkin seeds have been used as a remedy for micturition. Pumpkin seed oil has also shown possible beneficial affects in retarding the progression of hypertension (54), potential anti-inflammatory activity in arthritis (55), and may be effective in reducing the risk of bladder-stone disease (56). 

Gac Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) is another member of the gourd family (Curcubitaceae). The gac fruit is round and about 18-22 cm in diameter. It is native to Asia and is both consumed as food and used in traditional medicine. The seeds comprise about 16% of the total fresh weight of the fruit. 

The cantaloupe (muskmelon) belongs to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. 

Sometimes the term gourd is used to refer to the entire gourd family. The gourd family or cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) includes cucumbers, melons, squash, and pumpkins. Their fruits are usually large, fleshy, and have a thick rind. The plants are vines with broad leaves and trumpet shaped flowers. 

At least 56 closely related saponins, called gynosaponins, have been isolated from Gymnostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Maki-no of the gourd family, four of which (gynosaponins 3, 4, 8, and 12) are identical to ginsenosides Rbi, Rbs, Rd, and... 

The cucurbitacins (II), found in plants of the Cucurbitaceae family (gourds, cucumbers, etc.) and also in Begoniaceae, Euphorbaceae, and others, have been used... 

The fluted pumpkin Telfaria occidentalis) is a tropical gourd native to West Africa. It is taxonomicafly classified as a member of the Curcubitaceae family. The fruits are very large and weigh up to 13 kg, but only the seeds are edible (33). The seeds are very rich in both protein and fat, containing approximately 28% and 55%, respectively, from whole oven-dried fluted pumpkin seeds (26). The fatty acid profile of fluted pumpkin seeds demonstrated a high oleic acid content of 35.4% and a total saturated fatty acid concentration over 34% (Table 7) (26). Significant level of linoleic acid (18 2n-6) was also detected in the seed oil. 

The genera in the family of Cucurbitaceae (Table 1) include cucumbers, gourds, and melons. 

P-Pyrazol-l-yl-L-alanine (2-61), derived from pyrazole, occurs in some plants of the Cucurhitaceae family. It was first isolated from the seeds of watermelon Citrullus lanatus), where it represents approximately 0.1% of dry matter. It also occurs in the seeds of many other melons, squashes and gourds, together with other heterocyclic amino acids such as 3-aminopyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid (2-52). 

Vegetables of the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae), which includes squashes, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers and gourds of the genera Benincasa, Citrullus, Cucumic, Cucurbita, Lagemria and Lujfa, occasionally show bitter taste in response to various... 

Fig. C-19. A cantaloupe, also called a muskmelon. The edible, Juicy pulp Is 6 to 8% sugar when ripe and Is encassed In a hrad netted rind. Cantaloupe belongs to the same family as cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, gourds, and watermelons. (Courtesy, USDA)...

The soil should be deeply cultivated, well drained, neutral to mildly alkaline, and rich in both inorganic and organic nutrients. Therefore, many growers may find it necessary to add lime, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and compost or manure. However, compost should not be made from the residues of plants belonging to the gourd or melon family, because diseases may be spread among the different species of this family. 

The term melon is applied to the fruit of several closely related plants of the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae)—a family whose members include cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, watermelons, and gourds. 

The fruits of these plants provide both edible flesh and edible seeds. Also, the flowers are edible. Squashes belong to the gourd or melon family (Cucurbitaceae), which also includes pumpkins and cucumbers. Most summer squashes are classified as C. pepo and bear relatively small fruits that are eaten while immature. Winter squashes are C. maxima and C. moschata. Winter squashes are eaten when mature and tend to be more nutrituous than summer squashes. 

RIPs have been identified in more than 50 different plant species and have also been found in fungi, bacteria, and at least one algal species. The highest quantity of RIPs has been isolated from the carnation family Caryophyllaceae, the elder family Sambucaceae, the family of gourd-producing... 

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