Glycemic Response Assessment of Three Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Cultivars in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Trial: Glycemic Response of Three Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Cultivars in Healthy Adults

Fahim Ullah; Naseer Ahmed; Meera Tanveer; Mazhar Ali Shah; Hammad Iftikhar; Saira Syed

doi:10.54393/pbmj.v9i8.1421

Authors

Fahim Ullah Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan
Naseer Ahmed Department of Research, Rehman College of Dentistry, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan
Meera Tanveer Department of Research, Rehman College of Dentistry, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan
Mazhar Ali Shah Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
Hammad Iftikhar Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
Saira Syed The University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v9i8.1421

Keywords:

Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, Postprandial Glucose

Abstract

The glycemic index (GI) values in nutritional databases for watermelon tend to be generalizable based on sugar content, yet vary among cultivars; however, postprandial glycemia and glucose response vary among individuals and even cultivars. Objectives: To compare postprandial glycemia, GI, and glycemic load (GL) after consumption of Charleston Gray, Crimson Sweet, and Sugar Baby cultivars of watermelon by healthy subjects. Methods: This study was conducted as a single blind crossover trial in which 20 healthy volunteers (10 male and 10 female subjects; age 22.1 ± 0.8 yr; body mass index 24.4 ± 3.2 kg/m²) underwent four fasted trials in random order: 25 g anhydrous glucose or a quantity of each watermelon cultivar equaling 25 g of available carbohydrate. Capillary glucose was tested at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min. Calculation of GI was done based on incremental area under the curve (iAUC). Results: There was a difference in GI between the cultivars (F (2,38) = 8.42, p=0.001, partial eta-squared=0.31). The mean ± SD GI of Charleston Gray, Sugar Baby, and Crimson Sweet were 61.7 ± 41.2, 47.4 ± 35.0, and 31.4 ± 26.8, respectively; and the Friedman sensitivity analysis also confirmed that there was a cultivar effect (χ² (2) = 12.40, p=0.002). Conclusions: Crimson Sweet had the lowest response, while the three cultivars of watermelons had low GL levels in a practical portion of 150 g. Cultivar and size of portion should be taken into account when evaluating the glycemic response of watermelons.

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