What is cantaloupe

Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo species in the Cucurbitaceae family) also known as muskmelon (India and the United States), mushmelon, rockmelon, sweet melon, or spanspek (South Africa) ¹. Cantaloupes range in weight from 0.5 to 5 kilograms (1 to 11 lb). Originally, cantaloupe referred only to the non-netted, orange-fleshed melons of Europe. However, in more recent usage it has come to mean any orange-fleshed melon of Cucumis melo, and has become the most popular melon in North America.

Cantaloupe is normally eaten as a fresh fruit, as a salad, or as a dessert with ice cream or custard. Melon pieces wrapped in prosciutto are a familiar antipasto.

Because the surface of a cantaloupe can contain harmful bacteria—in particular, Salmonella ², it is recommended to wash and scrub a melon thoroughly before cutting and consumption. The fruit should be refrigerated after cutting it and consumed in less than three days to prevent risk of Salmonella or other bacterial pathogens.

Phytochemical analysis of cantaloupe showed the presence of flavonoids, phenols and saponins ³. These phytochemical constituents present in the hydro-methanol extract of cantaloupe seeds and the exact mechanism need to be evaluated.

Figure 1. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe nutrition facts

Raw cantaloupe is 90% water, 8% carbohydrates, 0.8% protein and 0.3% fat, providing 140 kJ (34 kcal) and 2020 μg of the provitamin A orange carotenoid, beta-carotene per 100 grams. Fresh cantaloupe is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value or DV) of vitamin C (44% DV) and vitamin A (21% DV), with other nutrients in negligible amounts (less than 10% DV).

Table 1. Cantaloupe (raw) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit		Value per 100 g
Approximates
Water	g		90.15
Energy	kcal		34
Energy	kJ		141
Protein	g		0.84
Total lipid (fat)	g		0.19
Ash	g		0.65
Carbohydrate, by difference	g		8.16
Fiber, total dietary	g		0.9
Sugars, total	g		7.86
Sucrose	g		4.35
Glucose (dextrose)	g		1.54
Fructose	g		1.87
Lactose	g		0
Maltose	g		0.04
Galactose	g		0.06
Starch	g		0.03
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg		9
Iron, Fe	mg		0.21
Magnesium, Mg	mg		12
Phosphorus, P	mg		15
Potassium, K	mg		267
Sodium, Na	mg		16
Zinc, Zn	mg		0.18
Copper, Cu	mg		0.041
Manganese, Mn	mg		0.041
Selenium, Se	µg		0.4
Fluoride, F	µg		1
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg		36.7
Thiamin	mg		0.041
Riboflavin	mg		0.019
Niacin	mg		0.734
Pantothenic acid	mg		0.105
Vitamin B-6	mg		0.072
Folate, total	µg		21
Folic acid	µg		0
Folate, food	µg		21
Folate, DFE	µg		21
Choline, total	mg		7.6
Betaine	mg		0.1
Vitamin B-12	µg		0
Vitamin B-12, added	µg		0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg		169
Retinol	µg		0
Carotene, beta	µg		2020
Carotene, alpha	µg		16
Cryptoxanthin, beta	µg		1
Vitamin A, IU	IU		3382
Lycopene	µg		0
Lutein + zeaxanthin	µg		26
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg		0.05
Vitamin E, added	mg		0
Tocopherol, beta	mg		0
Tocopherol, gamma	mg		0.11
Tocopherol, delta	mg		0
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg		0
Vitamin D	IU		0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg		2.5
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g		0.051
04:00:00	g		0
06:00:00	g		0
08:00:00	g		0
10:00:00	g		0
12:00:00	g		0.001
14:00:00	g		0.001
16:00:00	g		0.043
18:00:00	g		0.005
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g		0.003
16:1 undifferentiated	g		0
18:1 undifferentiated	g		0.003
20:01:00	g		0
22:1 undifferentiated	g		0
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g		0.081
18:2 undifferentiated	g		0.035
18:3 undifferentiated	g		0.046
18:04:00	g		0
20:4 undifferentiated	g		0
20:5 n-3 (EPA)	g		0
22:5 n-3 (DPA)	g		0
22:6 n-3 (DHA)	g		0
Fatty acids, total trans	g		0
Cholesterol	mg		0
Phytosterols	mg		10
Amino Acids
Tryptophan	g		0.002
Threonine	g		0.017
Isoleucine	g		0.021
Leucine	g		0.029
Lysine	g		0.03
Methionine	g		0.012
Cystine	g		0.002
Phenylalanine	g		0.023
Tyrosine	g		0.014
Valine	g		0.033
Arginine	g		0.029
Histidine	g		0.015
Alanine	g		0.095
Aspartic acid	g		0.136
Glutamic acid	g		0.209
Glycine	g		0.026
Proline	g		0.019
Serine	g		0.042
Other
Alcohol, ethyl	g		0
Caffeine	mg		0
Theobromine	mg		0
Anthocyanidins
Cyanidin	mg		0
Petunidin	mg		0
Delphinidin	mg		0
Malvidin	mg		0
Pelargonidin	mg		0
Peonidin	mg		0
Flavan-3-ols
(+)-Catechin	mg		0
(-)-Epigallocatechin	mg		0
(-)-Epicatechin	mg		0
(-)-Epicatechin 3-gallate	mg		0
(-)-Epigallocatechin 3-gallate	mg		0
(+)-Gallocatechin	mg		0
Flavanones
Hesperetin	mg		0
Naringenin	mg		0
Flavones
Apigenin	mg		0
Luteolin	mg		0.6
Flavonols
Kaempferol	mg		0.1
Myricetin	mg		0
Quercetin	mg		0
Isoflavones
Daidzein	mg		0
Genistein	mg		0
Glycitein	mg		0
Total isoflavones	mg		0
Formononetin	mg		0
Coumestrol	mg		0
Proanthocyanidin
Proanthocyanidin dimers	mg		0
Proanthocyanidin trimers	mg		0
Proanthocyanidin 4-6mers	mg		0
Proanthocyanidin 7-10mers	mg		0
Proanthocyanidin polymers (>10mers)	mg		0

[Source ⁴]

1. Gur A, Tzuri G, Meir A, et al. Genome-Wide Linkage-Disequilibrium Mapping to the Candidate Gene Level in Melon (Cucumis melo). Scientific Reports. 2017;7:9770. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-09987-4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5575340/[↩]
2. A multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in Australia associated with cantaloupe consumption. Epidemiol Infect. 2009 Mar;137(3):367-74. doi: 10.1017/S0950268808000861. Epub 2009 Feb 9. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/multistate-outbreak-of-salmonella-saintpaul-in-australia-associated-with-cantaloupe-consumption/7E3C7974D27F3D711D7E27BF87F444BB[↩]
3. Antipyretic effects of hydro-methanol extract of Melia azedarach Linn. seeds and Cucumis melo Linn. seeds in experimental rabbits. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2017 Jul;30(4):1257-1261. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29039323[↩]
4. United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 28. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list[↩]