Antioxidant potential of phytochemicals in pumpkin varieties belonging to Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita pepo species

Abstract

Pumpkin is a genus of plants belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family comprising several species, the most common of which are Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita moschata. Pumpkins are characterized by a high content of carotenoids, polyphenolic compounds, mineral components, and vitamin C. The level of bioactive compounds is affected by the pumpkin cultivar, which determines its antioxidant properties. In this study, the antioxidant potential of 19 pumpkin cultivars of Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita moschata species was determined and compared using ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, chelating activity and ORAC assay. Results of the study confirmed the high diversity of pumpkin cultivars in terms of their antioxidant activity. It was also shown that the antioxidant activity is more affected by the type of cultivar than by the pumpkin species. The obtained results indicate that cultivars such as 'Delicata', 'Baby Boo', 'Cream of the Crop' were characterized by particularly high antioxidant activity. Potencial antioxidante de los fitoquímicos en las variedades de calabaza pertenecientes a las especies Cucurbita moschata y Cucurbita pepo RESUMENLa calabaza es un género de plantas perteneciente a la familia de las Cucurbitáceas y comprende varias especies, de las cuales las más comunes son Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita pepo y Cucurbita moschata. Las calabazas se caracterizan por su alto contenido de carotenoides, compuestos polifenólicos, componentes minerales y vitamina C. El nivel de compuestos bioactivos se ve afectado por el cultivar de la calabaza, que determina sus propiedades antioxidantes. El presente estudio buscó especificar el potencial antioxidante de 19 cultivares de calabaza de las especies Cucurbita pepo y Cucurbita moschata, utilizándose ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, la actividad quelante y el ensayo ORAC para efectuar la comparación. Los resultados del estudio confirmaron la alta diversidad de cultivares de calabaza en cuanto a su actividad antioxidante. Además, se constató que la actividad antioxidante se ve más afectada por el tipo de cultivar que por la especie de calabaza. Los resultados obtenidos indican que cultivares como "Delicata", "Baby Boo", "Cream of the Crop" presentaron una actividad antioxidante particularmente alta.

Extraction of Carotenoids from Pumpkin Peel and Pulp: Comparison between Innovative Green Extraction Technologies (Ultrasonic and Microwave-Assisted Extractions Using Corn Oil)

“…The variations in our results could be related with sample matrix where we used pumpkin extracts in corn oil and hexane/isopropyl alcohol (as the instrument is especially designed for solid or powdered samples); however, we calculated the colour parameters after subtracting the control sample readings from our treated samples. Similarly, Kulczyński et al [ 9 ] carried out the colourimetric analysis of two varieties of pumpkin i.e., Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita pepo and observed that the colouring parameters were in a wide range of L* (52.00–71.98), a* (−5.44–30.84) and b* (29.24–51.84).…”

“…Besides different species of pumpkins, there are also numerous varieties, which differ in shape, colour and chemical composition on the basis of geographical conditions of the same species. Pumpkins are rich source of carotenoids, which are precursor of vitamin A, a major antioxidant and a good natural colouring compound that is present mainly in pulp and peels, along with other bioactive compounds such as polyphenolic compounds, minerals and vitamin C [ 9 ]. A plethora of epidemiological studies reported that high intake of carotenoids in diet are related with lower risks of chronic diseases such as cardio-vascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, neurological disorder or eye-related diseases [ 10 ].…”

Evaluation of Harvest Age on Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant Capacity of Butternut Pumpkin Flour

“…Pada DPPH kemampuan antioksidan suatu senyawa dilihat berdasarkan kemampuan senyawa antioksidan untuk mendonorkan hidrogen dari senyawa hidroksil yang berikatan dengan elektron bebas pada senyawa radikal DPPH, sehingga tereduksi menjadi senyawa non-radikal atau DPPH-H (1,1-difenil-2-pikrilhidrazin). Dalam tes ini, antioksidan yang terkandung di dalam ekstrak menetralkan radikal DPPH violet dan berkontribusi pada perubahan warna larutan 26 . (Siti Nurdjanah, Ika Mulawati, Tanto Pratondo Utomo, Fibra Nurainy) Sedangkan pada uji ABTS, kemampuan senyawa antioksidan berdasarkan pada kemampuannya untuk mendonorkan atom hidrogen dari senyawa peredam radikal bebas yang kemudian bereaksi dengan radikal kation ABTS•⁺ sehingga menjadi ABTS yang lebih stabil.…”

“…ABTS• + scavenging dapat dengan mudah dideteksi secara kuantitatif dengan membaca absorbansi pada serapan maksimumnya. Senyawa peredam radikal bebas yang bereaksi dengan ABTS•⁺ akan menjadi radikal baru yang stabil atau senyawa non-radikal 26 .…”

Microwave- and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Cucurbita pepo Seeds: A Comparison Study of Antioxidant Activity, Phenolic Profile, and In-Vitro Cells Effects

“…It is the most produced species of the Cucurbitaceae family, and one of the oldest known cultivated species, with Mexican archaeological evidence dating from 7000 BC [19,20]. C. pepo is an economically important crop in which immature fruits, leaves, peel, blossoms, and seeds are consumed due to their nutritional and medicinal benefits [21].…”