Antioxidant Activities in Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Pumpkin Powder (Cucurbita spp.)

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate total polyphenol contents and antioxidative effects of the enzymatic hydrolysates digested by several kinds of carbohydrases from the powder of ripened pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), sweet pumpkin (C. maxima) and green pumpkin (C. moschata). The total polyphenol contents of all enzymatic hydrolysates from green pumpkin powder were higher than those of ripened and sweet pumpkins. DPPH radical scavenging activities of the enzymatic hydrolysates digested by AMG and Termamyl from green pumpkin were also very strong compared to ripened and sweet pumpkins. However, the most enzymatic hydrolysates of ripened and sweet pumpkin powders, except Viscozyme digestion, were higher superoxide anion scavenging activities than green pumpkin powder. Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities in the enzymatic digests (not Ultroflo) of green pumpkin were potent compared to other pumpkin powders whereas hydroxyl radical scavenging activities were low at less than 14% in hydrolysates of all pumpkin species. Nitric oxide scavenging activities were very effective in Viscozyme digests of sweet and green pumpkin, and other enzymatic hydrolysates also showed higher activity than α-tocopherol control (not BHT).