Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour) Spreng.) Oil

Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour) Spreng.) fruit, originating from South-Eastern Asia, is considered as a superfruit thanks to the unequaled content of lycopene and other carotenoids of its arils. Direct uses of the fruit can be considered in cooking or traditional medicine, yet, most interesting and large-scale applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical require to extract the gac oil with its carotenoids content. Gac oil production is subject to an increase attention by the scientific and engineering domain, but is still in its infancy compared to other oils production. In this chapter, it is proposed to summarize the state of the art of gac oil processing by following the valorization chain. First, the properties of the fruit are presented. The steps used to store the fruit and produce the oil (drying, freezing, and oil extraction) are reported. For each step, the different known options are compared in terms of process conditions and quality of the oil. The properties of the gac oil are reported with an emphasis on the carotenoid content and antioxidant activities. Further processing of the oil (concentration, and carotenoids crystallization) is also addressed. The main existing and foreseen applications of gac oils are finally discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Bioactive compounds from Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Lour. Spreng)

Cucurbits (gourds and cucumbers) are one of the most economically important plant families for food consumption globally. One specific representative, Momordica cochinchinensis, is geographically restricted to tropical Asia and contains the highest levels of carotenoids of all the known fruits and vegetables and relatively underutilized, with only the aril from the fruit used in private homesteads as well as in foods and beverages. This chapter highlights the bioactive compounds from the fruit ranging from small phytochemicals to larger proteins with diverse functions for improved health. The potentials and recommendations for future development in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry are discussed