Chemical Composition and Bioactive Potential of Dehydrated Peels ofBenincasa hispida, Luffa acutangula, andSechium edule

Dehydrated peels from ash gourd (Benincasa hispida), ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula), and cho-chow marrow (Sechium edule) were analyzed for chemical composition and bioactive potential. The range of constituents per 100g dry peels were protein, 3 to 15 g; insoluble fiber, 45 to 58 g; ether extractives, 2.3 to 3.3 g; iron, 5.1 to 17.4 mg; calcium, 307 to 704 mg; tannins, 580 to 848 mg; carotenoids, 1,712 to 35,663 μg; and ascorbic acid, 37 to 51 mg. Polyphenols, total antioxidant activity, free radical scavenging activity (FRSA), and reducing power of peel were highest in aqueous extracts. FRSA of cho-chow marrow peel was the highest (87.32%) followed by ridge gourd (85.4%) and ash gourd (63.31%) peels that correlated well with bioactive components. Methanol and aqueous extracts of the peel exhibited bile acid binding (61%–98%) and α-amylase inhibitory activity.