Author(s): RR Gajera, DC Joshi and Amee Ravani

Abstract: Bottle gourd (Lagenaria. siceraria), a vigorous annual climbing vine with large leaves belongs to Cucurbitaceae family and known as calabash, lauki, white flowered gourd, trumpet gourd, calebassier, courage bouteille, cojombro, guiro amargo, upo, talayag, gucuzzi, zucca melon and mokwa, olo kwa. Bottle gourd fruits having the shape of a bottle are yellowish green with whiter pulp. Bottle gourd is one of the cheapest source of nutrients and potential source of natural antioxidants. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin B complex and choline along with fair amounts of vitamin C. Bottle gourd has long been an important component of indigenous herbal medicine, particularly in Asia. The fruits are traditionally used as a nutritive entity having cardioprotective, cardiotonic, general tonic, diuretic, aphrodisiac, antidote to certain poisons, alternative purgative, and cooling effects. It is also considered to be beneficial in insanity, epilepsy and other nervous diseases. Bottle gourd fruit has higher edible index and lower waste index proves its importance for processing. This review highlights on processing potential of nutritionally rich bottle gourd fruits to preserve it by extending the shelf- life in fresh form or in the processed form.