Microwave-assisted aqueous enzymatic extraction of oil from pumpkin seeds and evaluation of its physicochemical properties, fatty acid compositions and antioxidant activities

Cold-pressed pumpkin seed (<em>Cucurbita pepo</em> L.) oils from the central Anatolia region of Turkey: Characterization of phytosterols, squalene, tocols, phenolic acids, carotenoids and fatty acid bioactive compounds

“…The content of polyunsaturated linoleic acid ranged from 53.19 ±0.04% to 53.27 ±0.04% and was followed by oleic acid which was also present in high contents varying from 27.52 ±0.02% up to 27.59 ±0.02%. As reported in previous studies, the high content of linoleic acid is an important nutritional aspect of oil because it is an essential fatty acid for humans and it is involved in the building of cellular membranes, vitamin D, and a variety of hormones (Jiao et al, 2014). The presence of high amounts of linoleic acid also suggested that the analyzed PSOs could be used as a good source of essential fatty acids.…”

“…According to the literature, the content of total phenolic compounds in oil is mainly related to the oil from roasted pumpkin seeds, and is reported to range from 0.28 to 2.46 mg GAE/100 g (Tuberoso et al, 2007;Siger et al, 2008). Andjelkovic et al, (2010) reported the contents of phenolics in PSO samples in a range from 2.47 to 5.09 mg GAE/100 g. Also, higher contents of phenolic compounds in a range from 7.33 to 128.84 mg GAE/100 g were reported by Jiao et al, (2014).…”

“…The nutritional values of the studied PSOs were also calculated by their total MUFA (∑MUFA), total PUFA (∑PUFAs) and total SFA (∑SFA) contents (Jiao et al, 2014;Rezig et al, 2012). To the best of our knowledge, a higher intake of MUFAs may emerge as health-promoting food choices on the basis of both cardiovascular benefits and their capacity to decrease the risk of opportunistic diseases.…”

“…Cold-pressed PSOs as a rich source of bioactive components have been commonly used as edible oil or a potential nutraceutical product. It has been related to potential health benefits such as the prevention of prostate cancer, improvement of hypercholesterolemia, arthritis and bladder compliance, retardation of the hypertension, decreasing of bladder and urethral pressure, and alleviation of diabetes, lowering the levels of cancers, and possessing high-quality antioxidant potential (Fruhwirth et al, 2003;Jiao et al, 2014;Reziget al, 2012). Due to their specific and positive health effects, there are several studies on pumpkin seed cultivars in different countries which assess the content of bioactive compounds.…”

“…The seeds of pumpkin varieties also exhibit high antioxidant activity. Andjelkovic et al, (2010) reported the concentration of phenolic compounds and that phenolic content ranged from 2.471 to 5.093 mg GAE/100 g. Nederal et al, (2014) concluded that PSOs contain an essential ω-6 fatty acid (18:2, linoleic acid) in the range of 41.51% to 51.55% of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).Also, PSO has a high level of γ-tocopherols, phytosterols, and phospholipid bioactive compounds (Jiao et al, 2014;Rezig et al, 2012;Andjelkovic et al, 2010) The genetic factors, extraction technique, cultivation, climate, production and storage conditions of seed oils are critical factors for the content of bioactive compounds (Nawirska-Olszanska et al, 2013). To the best of our knowledge, there is no research in the literature on the assessment of different pumpkin cultivars from the central Anatolia regions of Turkey to determine their potential for commercial and industrial applications.…”