Byproduct from pumpkin ( Cucurbita moschata Duchesne ex poiret) as a substrate and vegetable matrix to contain Lactobacillus casei

Investigation of brewer’s spent yeast as a bio-vehicle for encapsulation of natural colorants from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) peels

Brewer’s spent yeast (BSY) Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been currently explored as a bio-vehicle for encapsulation of bioactive compounds and as a delivery system. The main objectives of this work were...

Quality assessment and variety classification of seed-used pumpkin by-products: Potential values to deep processing

Seed-used pumpkin (SUP) is known as a traditional popular crop, which is mainly processed for seeds. However, the by-products (49 times the amount of seeds) were disposed directly into the field as waste. In this study, potential values of seed-used pumpkins' by-products (SUPBs, peel and pulp) as food resource were investigated. Physico-chemical, nutritional, and aroma profile of ten varieties of SUPBs were characterized, and variety differences were also distinguished. Peel "a*" value, water, fructose, crude fat, sucrose, and Ca contents were the 6 characteristic indicators of SUPBs which screened through correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and PCA-X model. Comprehensive evaluation of physico-chemical, nutritional, and aroma profile, four varieties by-products (Jf8#, Nf8#, Rbf#, and Rf9#) were always characterized into Cluster Ⅰ. Other varieties were classified into Cluster Ⅱ based on aroma profile. However, two varieties by-products (Db1# and Xn1#) presented significant differences from others (Db2#, Db3#, Db4#, and Myxc2#) in physico-chemical and nutritional indices, they were classified as Cluster III and IV, respectively. Db1# had the highest nutritional value of soluble solid (11.78 ºBx), pectin (1,166.15 mg/ 100 g), total carotenoid (19.57 mg/ 100 g), and total sugar (13.69 g/ 100 g). Among all the SUPBs, Db1# had a relatively higher nutritional value, which was suitable as food resource for deep processing.

Nutritional Value and Modelling of Carotenoids Extraction from Pumpkin (Cucurbita Moschata) Peel Flour By-Product

By-products from fruits and vegetables are slices and peels that have been removed or rejected by the food industry and are considered to have low commercial value. Pumpkin peel is a source of carotenoids, minerals, antioxidants and phenolic compounds. This work studied the nutritional value of pumpkin peel flours produced by convective drying (40 °C) and milling. Pumpkin peel flours contained high contents of insoluble fibres (24.46 g/100 g), potassium (19.1 g/kg) and iron (152.5 mg/kg). Carotenoids were extracted using hexane at 40 °C, and flour particles were classified by 35-, 80- and 100-mesh sieves. The total carotenoids content ranged from 216.9 to 306.8 μg/g. Fick’s second law model computed that 215 min was required to extract 99 % of the total carotenoids. This work evidenced the effects of particle size on carotenoids extraction efficiency and demonstrated that pumpkin by-product flour could be used as a food ingredient or natural dye.

Development of a novel fermented pumpkin-based beverage inoculated with water kefir grains: a response surface methodology approach

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) is well known for its health and nutritional benefits and is recommended for daily consumption. This is the first report on optimization and development of fermented pumpkin-based water kefir beverage. Optimum pumpkin puree and brown sugar concentrations were found at 22.28 and 9.07% w/v, respectively, were made into a pumpkin-based beverage and fermented with water kefir grains for 24 h at 32 °C. The optimized fermented pumpkin-based water kefir beverage was found to be non-alcoholic, achieved good overall acceptability and high Lactobacillus, acetic acid bacteria and yeast cell viability of approximately 1012, 109 and 109 CFU mL-1, respectively. Overall, the optimized product attained superb technological characteristics and has the potential for industrial exploitation as a refreshing water kefir drink.

Functional Dehydrated Foods for Health Preservation

The market of functional foods has experienced a huge growth in the last decades due to the increased consumers’ awareness in a healthy lifestyle. Dried fruits constitute good snacks, in alternative to salty or sweet ones, and food ingredients due to their taste and nutritional/health benefits. Bioactive molecules are interesting sources to develop functional foods, as they play a major role in improving the health status and minimizing disease risks. The bioactive compounds most widely discussed in literature are presented in this review, for example, polyphenols, phytosterols, and prebiotics. Different technologies to dry bioproducts for producing functional foods or ingredients are presented. New drying techniques for the preservation of bioactive compounds are proposed, focusing more specifically on dielectric drying. A discussion on the techniques that can be used to optimize drying processes is performed. An overview on dehydrated plant based foods with probiotics is provided. The microorganisms used, impregnation procedures, drying methods, and evaluated parameters are presented and discussed. The principal bioactive compounds responsible for nutritional and health benefits of plant derived dried food products—fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables by-products, grains, nuts, and algae—are presented. Phytochemical losses occurring during pretreatments and/or drying processes are also discussed.

The functional and organoleptic characterization of a dairy-free dessert containing a novel probiotic food ingredient

New eating habits and diversification of tastes in consumers have led to the scientific community and the food industry expanding the range of probiotic foods and novel probiotic ingredients.