Harnessing sponge gourd: an alternative source of oil and protein for nutritional security.

Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem. is an important cucurbit crop that assures food security and dietary diversity among the poor communities. In the present study, seeds of 42 genotypes of Luffa cylindrica were evaluated for their potential use as oil seed crop. Seed moisture, oil and protein content and fatty acids profile were estimated along with total phenol and sugar content. Significant differences were observed among the various genotypes where oil content ranged from 15.4-29.8% and protein 19.9-30.8%. Total phenol content was high 6.43-12.84 mg/100 g, which bodes well for the sponge gourd seeds' ability to act as antioxidants. Significant correlation were found between important constituents studied like protein and oil, palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid. Total unsaturated fatty acids were in higher amount comparable to saturated fatty acids signifying the good quality of Luffa seed oil. Our research revealed that the NDSG-1, Pusa Sneha, DSG-95, DSG-98, DSG-108, and DSG-26 genotypes were very nutritious due to their high levels of protein, oleic acid, and oil output. Additionally, selection of traits having considerable correlation will be beneficial and help in improved varietal development for usage as an alternative oilseed crop. Our research sheds light on the nutritional value of sponge gourd seeds and suggests using them as a potential source for oil and protein, particularly in underdeveloped countries.

Inheritance and molecular mapping of solitary/cluster fruit-bearing habit in Luffa.

Fruiting behaviour and sex form are important goals for Luffa breeders and this study aimed to shed light upon inheritance patterns for both these traits. The hermaphrodite form of Luffa acutangula (known as Satputia) is an underutilized vegetable with a unique clustered fruiting habit. Its desirable traits, such as plant architecture, earliness, as well as contrasting traits like unique clustered fruiting, bisexual flower, and crossability with Luffa acutangula (monoecious ridge gourd with solitary fruits), make it a potential source for trait improvement and mapping of desirable traits in Luffa. In the present study, we have elucidated the inheritance pattern of fruiting behaviour in Luffa using F2 mapping population generated from a cross between Pusa Nutan (Luffa acutangula, monoecious, solitary fruiting) × DSat-116 (Luffa acutangula, hermaphrodite, cluster fruiting). In F2 generation, the observed distribution of plant phenotypes fitted in the expected ratio of 3:1 (solitary vs cluster) for fruit-bearing habit. This is the first report of monogenic recessive control for cluster fruit-bearing habit in Luffa. Herein, we designate for the first time the gene symbol cl for cluster fruit bearing in Luffa. Linkage analysis revealed that SRAP marker ME10 EM4-280 was linked to the fruiting trait at the distance of 4.6 cM from the Cl locus. In addition, the inheritance pattern of hermaphrodite sex form in Luffa was also studied in the F2 population of Pusa Nutan × DSat-116 that segregated into 9:3:3:1 ratio (monoecious:andromonoecious:gynoecious:hermaphrodite), suggesting a digenic recessive control of hermaphrodite sex form in Luffa, which was further confirmed by the test cross. The inheritance and identification of molecular marker for cluster fruiting trait provides a basis for breeding in Luffa species.

Molecular evidence for the occurrence of Pumpkin yellows virus (PuYV), a new polerovirus species associated with pumpkin plants.

In India, cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus, a cucurbit-infecting polerovirus, is emerging in the recent past with respect to its occurrence on different crops and geographical locations. This emphasized the need for an investigation to search for the possible occurrence of the other related species Polerovirus. In this view, different cucurbit hosts exhibiting severe chlorosis, bleaching, and yellowing symptoms were collected from the Vegetable Experimental Fields of IARI, New Delhi. The samples exhibiting yellowing and bleaching symptoms were associated with small isometric virions measuring ~ 25 nm under transmission electron microscope. The RT-PCR assays using generic (covering the partial RdRp, intergenic region and partial CP region) and complete coat protein (CP) gene-specific primers confirmed the association of a polerovirus. Further, complete CP gene sequence analyses revealed the association of a distinct species of Polerovirus with the pumpkin samples. These isolates showed the CP gene sequence identities below the species demarcation limit (90%) with the corresponding gene sequences of already reported polerovirus isolates. The results of this study provide the molecular evidence for the occurrence of a new species of Polerovirus, named tentatively as Pumpkin yellows virus (PuYV) in India.