Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Lam.) is a well-known, extensively grown and consumed crop, world-wide. Pumpkins are natural and rich source of potential bioactive compounds. The presence of active phytochemicals makes these fruits a great matrix to be further exploited for therapeutic purposes, beyond biotechnological applications. Peel, flesh and seeds of this fruit are heavily loaded with phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids, which are the main tributes of this functional and medicinal food. Present study was designed to utilize these parts of pumpkin in the form of powders, at 0, 5, 10 and 15% replacement levels with white flour, to develop biscuits and to obtain methanolic extracts of these biscuits to determine their phytochemical parameters. Among the different treatment biscuits, highest amount of total phenolics (101.79 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (60.74 mg CE/ 100 g) and DPPH free radical scavenging activity (38.00 mg AAE/100 g) was found in biscuits with 15% replacement of pumpkin seeds powder, while biscuits with 15% replacement of pumpkin flesh powder exhibited highest amount of total carotenoid contents (6.95 mg/ 100 g) and β carotene (2.86 mg/100 g). Functional biscuits developed from replacement of pumpkin parts powders with wheat flour may be offered to patients facing oxidative stress, degenerative diseases and diabetes. These biscuits can be offered to children for better growth and development. Consumers awareness through proper marketing at commercial level with proper labelling of nutritional facts, may lead to increased demand of this functional and medicinal food rich in bio actives.
Fruits and vegetables are basic crops of mass consumption for human population to meet their food requirements. Recent advances in medicinal studies have revealed that different parts of fruits and vegetables are loaded with phytochemicals responsible for eliminating the risks of different diseases. Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) is one of the abundantly grown and consumed vegetable all around the world. Seeds of this vegetables are named as nutritional power houses due to their excellent nutrient profiles. In present study total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and DPPH free radical scavenging activity, of pumpkin seeds extracts were determined. Extraction of pumpkin seeds was carried out in a Soxhlet apparatus using ethanol as extraction solvent. TAS and TOS were determined through Rel Assay Kits and free radical scavenging activity was measured through DPPH assay. TAS was found 4.18±0.36 and TOS 14.68±0.42, whereas value of OSI was measured 0.35±0.10. DPPH free radical scavenging activity was observed increasing with increasing the concentration and maximum value 56.10±0.90% was observed at 2 mg/mL concentration. From these results it was concluded that pumpkin seeds could be utilized as natural antioxidant source with potential to reduce oxidative stress and minimizing the risks of certain diseases.
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