Pumpkin and Pumpkin Byproducts: Phytochemical Constitutes, Food Application and Health Benefits

Abstract

Nowadays, agricultural waste byproducts are exploited in the food industry rather than discarded. Pumpkin is one of the most significant vegetable crops that is widely consumed in farmland and certain urban regions. The current study was designed to measure the phytochemical constituents, food application, health benefits, and toxicity of pumpkin and pumpkin byproducts. Pumpkins and pumpkin byproducts (seeds, leaf, and skin/peel) can be utilized as functional ingredients. Different parts of the pumpkin contain bioactive compounds including carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin E, ascorbic acid, phytosterols, selenium, and linoleic acid. Pumpkin is used in various food sectors as a functional food, including baking, beverages, meat, and dairy industries. Furthermore, the leaves and pulp of the pumpkin are used to produce soups, purees, jams, and pies. Different parts of pumpkins have several health benefits such as antidiabetic, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, this review paper elaborates on the pumpkins and pumpkin byproducts that can be used to develop food products and may be valuable against various diseases.

Exploring the effects of selenite treatment on pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) seedlings by physiology and transcriptome analysis

“…is a species belonging to the cucurbitaceae family. Pumpkins and pumpkin byproducts (seeds, leaf, and skin/peel) are widely used as functional foods by people because of their various bioactive compounds, including Selenium (Se) (Aziz et al, 2023). Se is thought as an indispensable metalloid element for animals and humans (Tangjaidee et al, 2023).…”

Pharmacological Profile Analysis of a Vegetable Crop Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Linn.) Seeds

“…Various investigations have been conducted across the globe on several varieties of pumpkin seeds, particularly C. pepo, C. moschata, and C. maxima. It has been claimed that pumpkin seeds contain anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-tumor, antimutagenic, and antiulcer effects (Aziz et al, 2023;Sharma et al, 2020). Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, fat, antioxidants, fiber, phytochemicals, and vitamins, rendering them an excellent source of nourishment (Agrawal and Shahani, 2021;Hussain et al, 2021a).…”

Kinetics of Nonenzymatic Browning Reactions in Pumpkin Puree During Storage

“…Effects of butternut fibres acquired from C. moschata on bread production was studied and reported that adding fiber ranging from 5 to 15 grams to 1 kilogram wheat flour can be promising to enhance the structure of the bread following baking process and through storage (de Escalada Pla et al, 2013). Aziz et al (2023) stated that pumpkin flour might also promote the way of gluten working in the dough such as assisting the rise of the bread and stabilization of the gas cell texture.…”