Exploring the nutritional riches of pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.): a multivariate approach for selection of nutritionally superior genotypes for breeding programmes.

Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.) is an underutilized yet nutritionally rich vegetable with significant potential to address micronutrient deficiencies in India. However, limited information is available on the extent of variability in nutritional and antioxidant traits and their interrelationships among diverse pointed gourd genotypes, restricting the identification of nutritionally superior breeding materials. A total of 46 genotypes were evaluated for 15 fruit quality parameters, including total phenols, ascorbic acid, carbohydrates, protein, essential minerals, moisture content, antioxidant capacity, shelf-life and pericarp thickness, to identify nutritionally superior genotypes with improved shelf-life and transportability, suitable for long-distance markets and efficient supply chain management. Among the genotypes, HAP-79 exhibited the longest shelf-life (6 days) along with high antioxidant potential (154.39 mg/100g) and nutrient content e.g., zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu). Substantial variability was observed among genotypes, indicating strong genetic diversity for nutritional traits. Antioxidant activity showed positive association with phenolic content and vitamin C, while protein content exhibited strong linkage with mineral accumulation, suggesting the possibility of simultaneous improvement of multiple nutritional parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed an inverse relationship between moisture and protein content, while calcium and iron showed close alignment. Genotypes such as HAP-35, HAP-6, HAP-79, HAP-115, HAP-18, HAP-117, HAP-106, HAPH-1, Swarna Alaukik and Swarna Rekha exhibited superior nutrient accumulation, highlighting their potential for biofortification. Hierarchical clustering grouped genotypes into four distinct clusters, with Swarna Suruchi and Swarna Rekha clustering together, while Swarna Alaukik formed a separate group. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting nutritionally enriched genotypes for future breeding programs.