engleski

Ultrasoun-assisted extraction of proteins and sugars from Cucurbita moshata pulp and by-products

Pumpkin is recognized as a functional food source. Although pumpkin pulp is a nutritionally valuable food source, its chemical properties change over time. The objective of this work was to determine spectrophotometrically the total protein and sugar content of pumpkin pulp dried at an air flow of 1.0 m/s and a temperature of 50 and 60 °C, respectively. Protein and sugar content were also determined in pumpkin peels and seeds to address the global sustainable trend of recycling unused by-products. Proteins and sugars were extracted from all samples using ultrasound-assisted extraction at a frequency of 37 kHz, a temperature of 50 °C, and durations of 10, 20, and 40 min. The recovery of both nutrients was also compared with reflux extraction performed during 20 and 40 minutes. The results obtained showed that high contents of proteins (12.83%) and sugars (48.93%) were present in the dry samples extracted with UAE. The content of proteins and sugars depended on the drying temperature and extraction time. The contents of proteins and sugars obtained by reflux extraction were also high, 10.66% (proteins) and 56.14% (sugars). The raw pulp contained between 0.83 and 1.54% proteins and 4.64 to 5.71% sugars. The raw seeds contained 8.99 to 27.55% proteins and 2.36 to 14.06% sugars, while the raw peels contained 1.21 to 2.41% proteins and 1.90 to 2.72% sugars, depending on the extraction method. Therefore, both by-products are valuable sources of two nutrients and could be used as an alternative sustainable source of food ingredients.

pumpkin pulp ; dried pumpkin ; pumpkin by-products ; hot air dying ; chemical composition

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