Optimization of Extraction Conditions for the Antioxidant Potential of Different Pumpkin Varieties ( Cucurbita maxima )

Bartosz Kulczyński, Anna Gramza-Michałowska and Jolanta B. Królczyk
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Bartosz Kulczyński: Department of Gastronomy Sciences and Functional Foods, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego Str., 60–624 Poznań, Poland
Anna Gramza-Michałowska: Department of Gastronomy Sciences and Functional Foods, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego Str., 60–624 Poznań, Poland
Jolanta B. Królczyk: Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Production Automation, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Opole University of Technology, ul. Prószkowska 76, 45–758 Opole, Poland

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: Antioxidants are a wide group of chemical compounds characterized by high bioactivity. They affect human health by inhibiting the activity of reactive oxygen species. Thus, they limit their harmful effect and reduce the risk of many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. Antioxidants are also widely used in the food industry. They prevent the occurrence of unfavourable changes in food products during storage. They inhibit fat oxidation and limit the loss of colour. For this reason, they are often added to meat products. Many diet components exhibit an antioxidative activity. A high antioxidative capacity is attributed to fruit, vegetables, spices, herbs, tea, and red wine. So far, the antioxidative properties of various plant materials have been tested. However, the antioxidative activity of some products has not been thoroughly investigated yet. To date, there have been only a few studies on the antioxidative activity of the pumpkin, including pumpkin seeds, flowers, and leaves, but not the pulp. The main focus of our experiment was to optimize the extraction so as to increase the antioxidative activity of the pumpkin pulp. Variable extraction conditions were used for this purpose, i.e., the type and concentration of the solvent, as well as the time and temperature of the process. In addition, the experiment involved a comparative analysis of the antioxidative potential of 14 pumpkin cultivars of the Cucurbita maxima species. The study showed considerable diversification of the antioxidative activity of different pumpkin cultivars.

Keywords: pumpkin; Cucurbita maxima; antioxidative activity; Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC); cluster analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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