Carotenoid contents in sweet gourd (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) accessions of India

Sweet gourd (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) is indigenous to East and South East Asia that contains high levels of beta-carotene and lycopene pigments. Though India holds a sizeable population of sweet gourd in the wild, there is no report on its total carotenoids and beta-carotene contents. Therefore, the total carotenoids and beta-carotene contents of sweet gourd accessions collected from India were estimated by photometric and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. On an average, total carotenoids varied from 716 to 832 mu g/g and beta-carotene concentrations ranged from 133.28 to 141.17 mu g/g. Published values for carotenoids vary widely and the values presented here agree closely with most of the earlier reports. In the light of its nutritive value and local availability, efforts need to be taken to educate the local population about the health benefits of this wonder fruit. It would serve as a natural medium of combating vitamin A deficiency in rural areas and also serve as a raw material for commercial extraction of neutraceuticals.