Citrullus lanatus as source of bioactive components: An up-to-date review

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) represents the largest cultivated member of the Cucurbitaceae family, showing great relevance from the economic point of view and largely consumed around the world accounting for about 7% of the world area dedicated to the production of vegetables, with 67% of the tota...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in food science & technology 2021-05, Vol.111, p.208-222
Main Authors: Zamuz, Sol, Munekata, Paulo E.S., Gullón, Beatriz, Rocchetti, Gabriele, Montesano, Domenico, Lorenzo, José M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antiinfectives and antibacterials
Antioxidant activity
Antioxidants
Ascorbic acid
Bioactive compounds
Biological activity
Biological properties
Carotenoids
Chemical compounds
Citrulline
Citrullus lanatus
Cucurbitacin
Exploitation
Fatty acids
Fruits
Gene expression
Green economy
Health promotion
Inflammation
Lycopene
Phenolic compounds
Phenols
Polyphenols
Tomatoes
Water melons
Watermelon
Xanthophylls
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Summary:Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) represents the largest cultivated member of the Cucurbitaceae family, showing great relevance from the economic point of view and largely consumed around the world accounting for about 7% of the world area dedicated to the production of vegetables, with 67% of the total quantity produced in China. It is characterized by several bioactive compounds, showing different chemical structures, such as carotenoids, xanthophylls, phenolic compounds, citrulline, and unsaturated fatty acids. The good amount of total polyphenols, vitamin C, citrulline and the excellent supply of lycopene, about 40% compared to raw tomatoes, give a measure of the importance of this fruit respect to the other crops considering the beneficial effects of these compounds on human health. In the last decades, this great interest towards natural bioactive compounds led many researchers to study watermelon as natural source of bioactive compounds, mainly when considering some biological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities, inhibition or induction of enzymes, inhibition of receptor activities, together with induction/inhibition of gene expression. However, the most of scientific literature on this topic was based on in vitro assays, thus limiting the comprehensive understanding of the real health-promoting outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this review was to present the up-to-date research carried out on watermelon phytochemicals, showing the most important biological activities reported from both in vitro and in vivo trials. Besides, the potential exploitation of watermelon by-products in the green circular economy and food-waste valorization has been discussed. •Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is an important source of bioactive compounds.•The main bioactive compounds are lycopene and citrulline.•Watermelon phytochemicals showed several beneficial effects in human health.•Watermelon bioactives could be exploited in different industrial applications.
ISSN:0924-2244
1879-3053
DOI:10.1016/j.tifs.2021.03.002