Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn. (Anchote) Biology, Productivity, and Prospects of Genetic Improvement Using Biotechnological Tools

Abstract Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn. (local name anchote) is a tuber crop that belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae and it is cultivated for food and medicinal uses. It has relatively high quality of nutrient composition compared to other tuber crops, and is considered as the leading proteinous root crop with a high calcium content. Therefore, cooked anchote tubers are highly recommended for patients with broken or fractured bones. Anchote also contains alkaloids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins. Although anchote is principally cultivated for its tubers, farmers prefer propagation by seeds as they are easy to store. Farmers select high-quality fruits for future seeds, based on the size of fruits and tubers. Since diseases and pests rarely affect the tubers, protection is not common. However, the fruit fly can damage the fruits, which predisposes them to decay. Although anchote has very high potential as a food security crop, it is neglected and underutilized and has received very limited research attention. Research published so far covers its ethnobotany, nutritional and anti-nutritional composition, traditional methods of reproduction, in vitro reproduction, somatic embryogenesis, anther breeding, and morphological and molecular genetic diversity. This article includes an analysis of previous and current research achievements, presents findings in a comprehensive way, and suggests future direction in crop improvement using biotechnological tools.