Nutritive value of pumpkin (<i>Cucurbita Pepo Kakai</i> 35) seed products

Abstract

Abstract The nutritive value of the pumpkin seed products was evaluated. Isolation of protein eliminated 80% of the phytic acid and 100% of the tannic acid, trypsin inhibitor and flatulence factors. Ethanol treatment during the preparation of the protein concentrate reduced tannic acid by 78% and trypsin inhibitor by 21%, while it had no effect on the phytic acid content. Isoleucine and valine were the first limiting amino acids for meal and protein concentrate, while the sulphur‐containing amino acids and valine were first limiting in pumpkin protein isolate‐I and isolate‐N, respectively. Pumpkin seed products had high levels of crude protein in the range 720–960 g kg −1 . In‐vitro protein digestibility and biological value were in the ranges 88–97% and 73–86%, respectively. Both meal and concentrate were rich in minerals (Ca, K, P, Mg, Fe and Zn) while isolates contain remarkable levels of sodium and copper. Pumpkin meal is a good source of the vitamin B group, while a large proportion of these vitamins is lost during the preparation of the protein concentrate and isolates.