Pumpkin and Pumpkin By-Products: A Comprehensive Overview of Phytochemicals, Extraction, Health Benefits, and Food Applications

Overview

Journal Foods

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2024 Sep 14

PMID 39272458

Authors

Roxana Nicoleta Gavril Ratu

Florina Stoica

Florin Daniel Lipsa

Oana Emilia Constantin

Nicoleta Stanciuc

Iuliana Aprodu

Gabriela Rapeanu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A versatile and popular vegetable, pumpkin has recently gained much attention because of its variety of phytochemicals and health advantages. Pumpkins are a type of winter squash, traditionally with large, spherical, orange fruits and a highly nutrient food. Pumpkin by-products comprise various parts, such as seeds, peels, and pulp residues, with their bioactive composition and many potential benefits poorly explored by the food industry. Pumpkin and their by-products contain a wide range of phytochemicals, including carotenoids, polyphenols, tocopherols, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers. These compounds in pumpkin by-products exhibit antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial properties and could reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This comprehensive review aims to provide a detailed overview of the phytochemicals found in pumpkin and its by-products, along with their extraction methods, health benefits, and diverse food and industrial applications. This information can offer valuable insights for food scientists seeking to reevaluate pumpkin's potential as a functional ingredient. Reusing these by-products would support integrating a circular economy approach by boosting the market presence of valuable and sustainable products that improve health while lowering food waste.

Citing Articles

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