| The fruit of most cultigens of Cucurbita maxima and C. moschata squash are high in carotenoids, especially B-carotene and lutein, both of which are important nutritionally. However, there have been no systematic studies to quantify the amount and types of carotenoids in fruit tissues of breeding germplasm and popular cultivars. In the summer of 2007, seven inbred lines of C. maxima and two op cultivars and five inbred lines of C. moschata were grown in replicated plots at research farms in Durham and Madbury, New Hampshire (USA). Data were recorded at harvest and after 30 and 60 days of storage at 15oC on % mesocarp dry weight (DW) and soluble solids (SS), both major attributes for determining acceptable eating quality. A visual estimation of carotenoid... |
