Composition, Functional Properties and Application of Bottle Gourd in Food Products

Abstract

Bottle gourd has widespread use as a vegetable in India. It is very valuable for vegetarians since it contains several important constituents which are required for good health and wellbeing. Recently in India, interest in bottle gourd has been growing amongst consumers because consumption of bottle gourd has been associated with a number of benefits and may be regarded as a natural guard against diseases. In Ayurveda, bottle gourd is advocated for treatment of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, flatulence, cooling properties, liver diseases, weight loss and other associated benefits. The nutritive value of bottle gourd makes it a popular diet ingredient in making sweet curries, soups, jams, juices, beverages, cakes, ice creams and tea for value-addition. In this article, the literature available on functional properties, health benefits and applications of bottle gourd in various food products have been reviewed.

Keywords: Bottle gourd, composition, properties, medicinal uses, application, dairy products

Cite this Article:

Amit Barot, Suneeta Pinto, Smitha Balakrishnan,et al. Composition, Functional Properties and Application of Bottle Gourd in Food Products. Research & Reviews: Journal of Dairy Science and Technology. 2015; 4(1): 15–27p.