Research On The Use Of Luffa By-products In The Food Production

Luffa is a common vegetable with high nutritional and medicinal value.After harvesting,a large number of roots,stems and leaves of luffa will be left,and there will be a large amount of wound fluid when cutting luffa stems.All the by-products of luffa are all valuable low-cost natural renewable resources.At present,the use of root,vine leaves and wound fluid of luffa are mostly staying at medical,followed by food usage,the utilization rate is very low.It is urgent to develop new utilization method of luffa.In this thesis,the method and effect of producing edible mushrooms by luffa roots,stems and leaves,and food fresh keeping by luffa wound fluid were studied,the feasibility of using the luffa by-products in food production was explored.In the experiment,the luffa roots,stems and leaves were used to replace potato,grain and cottonseed skin for oyster mushroom seed production and planting,the feasibility of oyster mushroom production by luffa roots,stem and leaves was researched.Using quantitative or qualitative analysis methods,a preliminary analysis of the composition of the bleeding fluid of loofah was performed.The storage and preservation of strawberry,spinach and sweet potato stems were tested with different concentrations of luffa stem fluid.The experiment results are as follows.1.It is feasible to use luffa roots,stems and leaves for oyster mushroom strains production.Potatoes in PDA culture medium can be replaced by 1/2 volume of luffa roots stems and leaves.This should also apply to the production of liquid strains.For original strain production,10% luffa roots stem leaves can be used instead of wheat and corn kernels.For planting strain production,25% luffa roots stems leaves can be used instead of cottonseed husks.2.Luffa stems and leaves can replace part of cotton husks to cultivate edible mushrooms.The 25% luffa root vine leaves have same biological efficiency and nutrient content with whole cottonseed husks.3.Luffa wound fluid contains some ingredients related to food preservation.Luffa stem fluid contents calcium,polysaccharide,saponin,protein and alkaloid,they are microbial inhibition.4.Luffa wound fluid can be used in plant foods preserving.Preserving experiments on plant foods such as strawberries,spinach leaves and sweet potatoes showed that the luffa wound liquid has the potential to be used as a food preserving.The diluted wound fluid effect is better than the original fluid.The experiment results showed that the by-products of luffa such as roots,stems and leaves and wound fluids have important practical value in food production.