Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a member of the Curcurbitaceae family of fruits that includes melon, squash and pumpkin. Cucumber is a fruit because it contains seeds, although it is not usually thought of as a fruit, and often erroneously considered a vegetable. Cucumbers are interesting fruits because they have properties that are not similar to many other fruits. They have a particularly high water content and in fact eating high amounts of cucumber can supply a significant amount of the daily requirement for water. In addition, cucumbers are very low in both energy and sugar, which makes them an ideal weight control food. Balanced to this is the fact that cucumbers contain a variety of phytochemicals, many of which may act as antioxidants in humans and animals. A number of active compounds have been isolated from cucumber including cucurbitacins, cucumegastigmanes I and II, cucumerin A and B, vitexin, orientin, isoscoparin glucoside, apigenin coumaroyl glucoside.
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