Spaghetti squash

Abstract: Seven trypsin inhibitors were isolated from the seeds of Cucurbitaceae plants: two from cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and red bryony (Bryonia diotica) and one from figleaf gourd (Cucurbita ficifolia), spaghetti squash (Cucurbita pepo var. (vegetable spaghetti) and water melon (Citrullus vulgaris). The inhibitors were purified by fractionation with ammonium sulphate, followed by ion-exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography using immobilized trypsin or anhydro-trypsin. The homogeneous inhibitors from cucumber and water melon are made up of 32 and 30 amino acid residues, respectively, whereas the remaining ones of 29 residues. All inhibitors contain three disulphide bridges and are free of threonine, phenylalanine and tryptophan. Inhibitors from spaghetti squash and CSTI IIb from cucumber are inactivated by acetylation of free amino groups whereas the remaining ones are inactivated by modification of arginine with 1,2-cyclohexanedione. Thus the P1 residues of the reactive sites of the inhibitors are lysine and arginine, respectively.

Abstract: Growth of epithelial tissues is regulated by a plethora of components, including signaling and scaffolding proteins, but also by junctional tension, mediated by the actomyosin cytoskeleton. However, how these players are spatially organized and functionally coordinated is not well understood. Here, we identify the Drosophila melanogaster scaffolding protein Big bang as a novel regulator of growth in epithelial cells of the wing disc by ensuring proper junctional tension. Loss of big bang results in the reduction of the regulatory light chain of nonmuscle myosin, Spaghetti squash. This is associated with an increased apical cell surface, decreased junctional tension, and smaller wings. Strikingly, these phenotypic traits of big bang mutant discs can be rescued by expressing constitutively active Spaghetti squash. Big bang colocalizes with Spaghetti squash in the apical cytocortex and is found in the same protein complex. These results suggest that in epithelial cells of developing wings, the scaffolding protein Big bang controls apical cytocortex organization, which is important for regulating cell shape and tissue growth.

Abstract: This study was carried out to analyze the change of major nutrient components of spaghetti squash by boiling. The moisture, crude protein, fat, ash and carbohydrate contents in fresh squash were 94.2%, 0.6%, 0.1%, 0.7% and 4.4% respectively as against 95.1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 3.8% in boiled squash. The decrease in protein and ash contents of the boiled sample were found to be significant. Major component of the minerals were potassium and the fresh and boiled squash had the contents of 330 mg and 256 mg, respectively. There were no differences of dietary fiber between the fresh and boiled squash. Beta-carotene contents of the fresh and boiled spaghetti squash were 0.69 ㎍ and 2.22 ㎍, respectively. The contents of tocopherol were decreased as like 4.3 mg and 2.0 mg. A total of 17 kinds of amino acids were isolated from squash and they were decreased by boiling and the high content of amino acids in order were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, arginine, lysine, and leucine in raw squash. Particularly, total amino acid of fresh squash were 6,739.5 mg per 100 g edible portion and higher than that of boiled squash(4,820.3 mg). Total polyphenolic compound of the fresh squash from 297.3 ㎍/mg was slightly decreased to 253.3 ㎍/mg by boiling.Key words: spaghetti squash, proximate compositions, minerals, vitamins, amino acids

Abstract: INTRODUCTION Developing new kinds and types of vegetable crops is beneficial to both the grower and the consumer. Diversification of vegetable crops expands a grower’s market and simultaneously increases a consumer’s choice of vegetables. New cultivars can also improve fruit nutritional components. The objective of this investigation is to determine the adaptation and fruit nutritional content of two spaghetti squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) cultivars grown in south Florida. The traditional ‘Vegetable’ spaghetti squash originated in Mexico/Central America (Maynard et al. 2001). Cultural practices can vary considerably because of the wide diversity of environments which spaghetti squash are grown (Zitter et al. 1998). ‘Vegetable’ spaghetti squash production practices are similar to watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). Propagation begins with direct seeding and plants mature 80–100 days after seeding, depending on cultivar and environmental conditions. The plants have a vine habit and fruit mature between rows (bare soil) rather than directly on the plastic covered beds. The original orange type spaghetti squash, ‘Orangetti’, was developed in 1986 at the Department of Vegetable Crops, Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya’ar Experiment Station, Israel in 1986 and released in the United States in the early 1990s (Paris 1993). ‘Hasta La Pasta’ (Seedway, Inc., Hall, New York) are very similar to summer squash (yellow and zucchini). Direct seeding on raised, plastic covered beds produce a marketable yield in approximately 80 days from seeding. The compact bush plant habit helps to keep the fruit on the beds. Both cultivars are harvested once. Minimal research and marketing have been conducted comparing the two cultivars.