Nutritional and Medicinal Potential of Lagenaria siceraria

Abstract

Dietary prebiotics and phytomedicine have made available novel therapeutic possibilities to manage human health and diseases. Sitotherapy, the therapeutic use of diet and nutrition, strives to adapt the chemistry of food and nutrition in order to improve human health. Gastrointestinal crypt stem cells and enteric microflora are believed to be affected by diet, which can result in improved health. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. is a vegetable food also used as a traditional medicine. It is reported to have immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antioxidant, anti-stress and adaptogenic, antihyperlipidemic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. A novel protein, Lagenin (20 kDa), isolated from seeds is reported to have antitumor, antiviral, antiproliferative, and anti-HIV activities. The consumption of bottle gourd can be considered to improve human health, but additional research is required.

Keywords:

• Anticarcinogenic
• Anti-HIV
• Antioxidant
• Cardioprotective
• Immunomodulatory
• Prebiotics

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Life Sciences Research Board, Ministry of Defense, government of India, for financial assistance.