Gac Fruit: Advances in Cultivation, Utilisation, Health Benefits and Processing Technologies

Gac fruit, Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng, is rich in nutrients such as carotenoids (particularly beta-carotene and lycopene), fatty acids, vitamin E, polyphenol compounds and flavonoids. This book provides the latest research on this fruit, from cultivation through to processing technologies for health products. It addresses several techniques on propagation and cultivation in order to increase the production and quality of Gac fruit, including traditionally used parts of the fruit (aril) and those whose value has not yet been maximized (peel, pulp and seed).This plant has the potential to be a high value crop, particularly as parts of the fruit can be processed into nutrient supplements and/or natural colorants. It has an exceptional potential in the world carotenoids market of about US $ 1.4 billion (2017), which will be growing steadily, up to US $ 6.9 billion by 2026. As such, this book contains special emphasis on:Improving production of Gac fruitNovel extraction of Gac oil rich in beta-carotene and lycopene from aril and peel.Encapsulation of Gac oil rich in beta-carotene and lycopene.Practical applied technologies such as microwave drying, heat pump drying, freeze drying, ultrasound assisted extraction, supercritical CO2 extraction, encapsulation techniques are all presented.This is an essential reference text for academics, researchers and graduate students in cultivation, food processing, science and nutrition. Product developers in health food areas in the food industry will also find it valuable.