Watermelon lycopene and Health claims

Classification and nutritional profile

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) has association with cucumber, pumpkin, squash and gourds; belonging to family Cucurbitaceae (Edwards et al., 2003[37]). Fruit of this plant is major consumed portion and variations in growth characteristics determine its end use quality (Maynard, 2001[79]; Oms-Oliu et al., 2009[93]). Considering the nutritional profile, consumption of 100 g watermelon provides 30 kcal. It contains almost 92 % water and 7.55 % of carbohydrates out of which 6.2 % are sugars and 0.4 % dietary fiber. It is enriched with carotenoid, vitamin C, citrulline, carotenoids and flavonoids and fat and cholesterol free, thus considered as low caloric fruit (Leskovar et al., 2004[69]; Bruton et al., 2009[17]). Additionally, watermelon is rich source of ß-carotene acts as an antioxidant and precursor of vitamin A.

Besides the presence of lycopene, it is a source of B vitamins, especially B₁ and B₆, as well as minerals such as potassium and magnesium (Huh et al., 2008[50]). Watermelon contains phenolics quite comparable with that of other fruits (Kaur and Kapoor, 2001[63]; Jaskani et al., 2005[55]). It is an inexpensive and nutritious source that is readily available to all socio-economic groups of Pakistan throughout the summer season. Its consumption depends on number of factors e.g. availability, income, age, gender, racial and ethnic norms. In this context, per capita consumption in Asian communities is almost 3 times greater as compared to other part of globe (Dermesonlouoglou et al., 2007[33](Fig. 1)).

Presently, functional foods and nutraceuticals are gaining immense importance in the prevention of various maladies through dietary regimen module. Consumption of fruits and vegetables based diet has pursuit a range of bioactive components, especially phytochemicals targeting life threatening ailments. In this context, lycopene is an extensively studied antioxidant potentially present in watermelon, tomato, pink guava etc. Watermelon is one of the unique sources having readily available cis-isomeric lycopene. The distinctive aroma of watermelon is imparted by medium- and short-chain fatty acids along with geranial, ß-ionone and neral. Its consumption has been escalated owing to rich nutritional profile and allied health benefits. It is effective in reducing the extent of cancer insurgence, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and macular diseases. The structural characteristics, physiochemical properties and therapeutic effects of lycopene are the limelight of the manuscript. However, further research investigations are still needed to address the health enhancing potential of watermelon lycopene.

Ref

EXCLI J. 2014 Jun 3;13:650–660.

Watermelon lycopene and allied health claims

Ambreen Naz 1,*, Masood Sadiq Butt 2, Muhammad Tauseef Sultan 3, Mir Muhammad Nasir Qayyum 4, Rai Shahid Niaz 5