Telfairia occidentalis

Telfairia occidentalis is a tropical vine grown in West Africa as a leaf vegetable

and for its edible seeds. Common names for the plant include fluted gourd, fluted pumpkin, and ugu. T. occidentalis is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family and is indigenous to southern Nigeria. The fluted gourd grows in many nations of West Africa, but is mainly cultivated in Nigeria, used primarily in soups and herbal medicines. Although the fruit is inedible, the seeds produced by the gourd are high in protein and fat, and can, therefore, contribute to a well-balanced diet. The plant is a drought-tolerant, dioecious perennial that is usually grown trellised.

T. occidentalis is traditionally used by an estimated 30 to 35 million people indigenous people in Nigeria, including the Efik, Ibibio, and Urhobo; However, it was predominantly used by the Igbo tribe, who continue to cultivate the gourd for food sources and traditional medicines. A recurring subject in the Igbo’s folklore, the fluted gourd is noted to have healing properties and was used as a blood tonic, to be administered to the weak or ill. It is endemic to southern Nigeria, and was an asset to international food trades of the Igbo tribe Akoroda.

Although the seeds of T. occidentalis store well, precautions must be taken when storing any portion of the plant, particularly if the gourd is to be stored whole. This is not a typical storage method, as the fluted gourd pod (the fruit itself) is highly perishable, and can only be stored up to 4 weeks.If the gourd is left intact and proper storage and shipping are not practiced, pod rot can manifest, even from small lesions, and cause serious damage to the entire fruit, rendering it unusable.Furthermore, care must be taken when storing the leaves, which rapidly lose nutritional and water content when stored improperly. These loses can be reduced by storing harvested leaves in sealed, polyethylene bags, as well as at lower temperatures (2-4°C).

A major concern of buyers and sellers of fluted gourd is pod rot. Infection occurs most frequently during transport, although it can also arise before the plant is harvested, starting as a small lesion that creates an avenue for pathogens to penetrate the fruit.It is most common for the affected area to appear brown in colour, indicating a contamination by R. stolonifer or Erwina. However, the infected area may also appear black (indicating the presence of Aspergillis niger) or grey (B. theobromae). Other symptoms associated with the presence of these pathogens include softening of the pod tissue accompanied by a pungent odour, or watery fluid in the fruit.Pod rot can be reduced by avoiding damage to the fruit during harvest and transport.

The edible seeds can be boiled and eaten whole, or fermented and added to ogili.The fluted gourd has been traditionally used by indigenous tribes as a blood tonic, likely due to its high protein content. Flour produced from the seeds can be used for high-protein breads. Furthermore, the shoots and leaves can be consumed as vegetables. When T. occidentalis is prepared for herbal medicine, it is used to treat sudden attack of convulsion, malaria, and anaemia; it also plays a vital and protective role in cardiovascular diseases.