Squash (Cucurbita moschata) is being progressively utilized for the manufacture of different products and the design of different processing methods requires information about its rheological properties of the pulp. The present work has evaluated the rheological properties of the pulp as function of temperature (20-100 °C). The rheological properties of natural pulp were evaluated as a function of the temperature. The product flow behavior is well described by the Carreau-Yasuda model (R 2 > 0.9712). The product has shown a weak gel behavior, with storage modulus higher than loss modulus in the evaluated frequency range. The Cox-Merz rule was found to not be applicable to the pulp. The results obtained are potentially useful for future studies on the new products, for the extraction of microcomponents with technological functionality and process design.

The present work has evaluated the morphological, chemical and physicochemical properties of three components of squash (the peel, pulp and seed). Proximate composition and physicochemical properties of oil were performed according to AOAC procedures. Different morphological characteristics showed considerable similarities among different cultivars from Bolivar department (Colombia). The higher moisture and carbohydrate contents were established in the pulp with 85.34 % and 81.45 %, and the peel with 81.06 % and 79.23 %, respectively. On the other hand, the seeds had higher amounts of oils and proteins with 25.70 % and 52.6, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum showed relations with the functional groups of the different vegetal parts with their chemical composition. Considering the proximate composition in the different part of squash appear to be quite promising technological and commercial exploitation.

Melon (Cucumis melo) is a fruit of great national importance. However, it is not exploited in our region due to producers' insufficient negotiating capacity and the lack of infrastructure and technical training, which causes losses of these products, especially at harvest time. Therefore, it is necessary to study its physicochemical and rheological properties to optimize the different processing methods. The main objective of this research is the study of the physicochemical and rheological properties of fresh melon pulp (Cucumis melo) from the northern area of the Bolí­var department, Colombia, as a contribution to science and agro-industry, for which the physicochemical characterization was performed following AOAC methods, and the rheological characterization was performed by flow tests at steady state in a temperature range of 10-60°C. The pulp rheological properties evaluation were analyzed according to the temperature variation. The tests were conducted using a Modular System Rheometer Haake Mars Advanced 60. The pulp yield was 83.74% of the whole fruit; physicochemical parameters were similar to those studied previously by other authors. The melon pulp had a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior (shear thinning) in all cases with reduction of temperature, the relation between the viscosity and the deformation rate adjusted the Carreau-Yasuda model (R2> 0, 97264). These results provide information on the melon pulp rheological behavior and may have potential application in the agro-industrial sector for the design of processes to manufacture products from this raw material.