Chemical composition and profile characterisation of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed oil |
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Authors: | Leila Rezig Moncef ChouaibiKamel Msaada Salem Hamdi |
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Institution: | a Food Conservation and Valorization Laboratory, High Institute of Food Industries, 58 Avenue Alain Savary, El Khadra City, Tunis, 1003, Tunisia b Laboratory of Bioactive Substances, Biotechnology Center in Borj-Cédria Technopole, BP, 901, 2050 Hammam-Lif, Tunisia |
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Abstract: | Seeds of a Tunisian variety (Béjaoui) of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) were analysed for their main chemical composition and for their oil properties. Expressed on dry weight basis, seed moisture was 8.46%, whereas contents of proteins, fibre, ash, fat, and total sugars established at 33.92%, 3.97%, 21.97%, 31.57%, and 0.11% respectively. Gas chromatography revealed that the major fatty acids were oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids (44.11%, 34.77%, and 15.97% respectively). Seed oil was also found to be rich in tocopherols with a predominance of δ-tocopherol (42.27%). The sterol marker β-sisosterol accounted for 39.6% of total sterols contained in seed oil of this variety. Six phenolic acids (protocatechuic, caffeic, syringic, vanillic, p-coumaric and ferulic) were detected, the syringic acid being predominant (7.96 mg/100 g). As a whole, based on its seed oil features, pumpkin may be considered as a valuable source for new multi-purpose products for industrial, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical utilisation. |
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Keywords: | Pumpkin seed oil Fatty acids Phenolic acids Sterols Tocopherols Differential scanning calorimetry |
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