Caigua (Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrad.) is an edible plant native of South America, traditionally used for its health-promoting properties. Its cultivation has expanded globally, with a landrace from Camonica Valley (Northern Italy) showing significant potential as a raw material for herbal applications. This study conducted a phytochemical analysis of the fruits and leaves of the Camonica Valley landrace compared to a commercial South American cultivar. Six flavone glycosides were isolated via column chromatography, identified using NMR, and quantified by HPLC. The primary compounds, chrysin-6-C-fucopyranoside and apigenin-6-C-glucopyranoside (isovitexin), were found in both the fruits and leaves of the two cultivars. Quantitative analysis revealed significantly higher levels of flavone glycosides in the leaves of the Camonica Valley cultivar compared to the fruits and the commercial South American cultivar. These findings highlight the potential of this landrace of caigua for herbal, nutraceutical, and food applications.
Keywords: Cyclanthera pedata; chrysin-6-C-fucopyranoside; flavone glycosides; landrace; phytochemicals.