Aytasheva Z.G., Zhumabayeva B.A., Dzhangalina E.D., Rakhimberdi Q., Shamshadin D. Challenges of Ongoing Cucurbits Research and Farm Gating

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan, Almaty

Abstract

Steady interest to pumpkin biology and breeding in Kazakhstan is confirmed by the former research.
Cucurbita pepo L. is harvested throughout all the continents under different climate conditions up to
65° northern latitude. For peoples of our and neighbouring countries as populations inhabiting the Silk
Road countries in general, pumpkin is one of key ingredients of sustenance. It serves as the bread dough
additive and is widely used in national cuisines in the Central Asian region and beyond. Especial significance of pumpkin-based nutrition is explained by its implication in diet food and baby food due to the
presence of carious form of carbohydrates, vitamins, organic acids and microelements. Abundance of
nutritional composition in association with low cellulose content allows to recommend this melon crop
for being included into the diet at diverse inflammation processes. Numerous medicinal applications of
pumpkin is associated with cholagogue, diuretic, appetizer, anti-obesity, anti-insomnic, would-healing,
baby food, diet food, anthelminthic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-aging, anti-eczemic, cosmetic treatment
and other effects. One of modern approaches in pumpkin phytoremediation is transgenic generation
with programmed set of associated bacteria. This offers further transgenes for their transfer to soils, contaminating with organic pollutants. Cucurbitaceae spp. may be involved in postponing the aging process.
Recent studies demonstrate that zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo) is a seasonal vegetable with high
nutritional and medical values. A number of useful properties of this fruit were attributed to bioactive
compounds. Earlier phylogenetic inter-relationships within the genus Cucurbita (pumpkins, squashes,
and yellow-flowered gourds) were investigated by comparing wild and domesticated taxa. By screening
an intron region from the mitochondrial nad1 gene as a marker, taxonomic relationships in flowering
plants have been clarified to show the route of domestication for the Cucurbita. Six or more independent
domestication steps aring from distinct wild ancestors have been determined. It was proposed that Cucurbita argyrosperma had been domesticated from a wild Mexican gourd, Cucurbita sororia, growing in
the Southwest Mexico, or the same region that had produced the maize. The wild ancestor of Cucurbita
moschata remains unclear. Nonetheless, the mtDNA data has indicated that the site of origin could be
located in lowland northern South America. The wild ancestor of domesticated C. pepo subsp. pepo remains unclear. However, it relates to C. pepo subsp. fraterna stemming out from Southern Mexico. One
of targets for Kazakhstan is maintaining and characterizing domestic pumpkin germplasms, manufacturing the pumpkin seed oil and developing pharmaceuticals. So it is critical to study genetic power of the
local accessions, expected and observed heterozygocity enhanced by intraspecious and inter-specious
hybridization.
Key words: Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbitaceae, genetic diversity, genetic origin, squash, phytoremediation, biochemistry, medicine.