ABSTRACT
A vegetable is defined as “an edible, usually succulent plant or a portion of it eaten with staples as main course or as supplementary food in cooked or raw form” (1).
More than 10,000 plant species are eaten as vegetables worldwide. Among these species, only 50 or so are commercially important (2). Vegetables contribute to humans essential minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, proteins, fats, starches, and energy. Vegetables are a major source of vitamin C. The amounts of carotenes in pumpkins, capsicum peppers, and tomato are useful to mankind. Dietary fibers in vegetables include cellulose, hemicellulose, pectic substances, and lignin that are important in preventing several human diseases. Vegetables also neutralize the acid substances produced by other high-energy food (3). While organic acids and volatile compounds are responsible for flavor and aroma, chlorophyll, carotene, and anthocyanin make up the colors. Vegetables not only form an essential part of a well-balanced diet, but the flavor, aroma, and color also make them important in human diet and appetite (4).
