Sarah Jane Monica, Sheila John, R. Madhanagopal, C. Sivaraj, Ameer Khusro, P. Arumugam, Márió Gajdács, D. Esther Lydia, Muhammad Umar Khayam Sahibzada, Saad Alghamdi, Mazen Almehmadi, Talha Bin Emran
(2022)
Chemical composition of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seeds and its supplemental effect on Indian women with metabolic syndrome
Olga Papagianni, Iraklis Moulas, Thomas Loukas, Athanasios Magkoutis, Dimitrios Skalkos, Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos, Charalampia Dimou, Haralabos C. Karantonis, Antonios E. Koutelidakis
(2021)
Trends in Food Innovation: An Interventional Study on the Benefits of Consuming Novel Functional Cookies Enriched with Olive Paste
Pumpkin seeds are commonly consumed in Greece. Although Cucurbita moschata is locally grown in Lemnos and is traditionally used in pumpkin pies, the seeds are currently discarded after consumption of the fruit flesh. The aim of the present study was to investigate the nutritional functionality of pumpkin seeds from Cucurbita moschata grown in Lemnos.Cucurbita moschatas’ seeds, raw or roasted, were appropriately extracted and the results are presented for raw versus (vs) roasted seed extracts. The phenolic content was expressed as μg gallic acid/g of seeds according to Folin-Ciocalteau assay (370.3 ± 19.1 vs 551.0 ± 22.0). Antioxidant capacity was expressed as equivalent amount for 50% scavenging in mg of seeds for DPPH (50.03 ± 5.91 vs 25.82 ± 6.77) and ABTS (17.85 ± 0.77 vs 12.77 ± 0.76) assays, and as μmol of trolox/g of seeds for FRAP (1.19 ± 0.05 vs 2.50 ± 0.23) and CUPRAC (2.13 ±0.11 vs 3.25 ± 0.06) assays. Anti-inflammatory/anti-thrombotic and anti-diabetic activities were expressed as mg of seeds for 50% inhibition of platelet activating factor (0.62 vs 0.15) and as μg of seeds for 25% inhibition of alpha-glycosidase (40.0 vs 61.0) activities respectively. Moreover, anti-atherogenic activity was expressed as the % increase in lag time of human plasma oxidation (62.7 versus 163.2)Raw and roasted pumpkin seed extracts exert anti-oxidant, anti-thrombotic/anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic and antidiabetic activities. Cucurbita moschata seeds may represent a novel opportunity for development of functional foods, with a local interest in Lemnos that would contribute also to the regional public health improvement.
References
1.
ABE N, MURATA T, HIROTA A. Novel Oxidized Sorbicillin Dimers with 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-Radical Scavenging Activity from a Fungus. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 1998;62(11):2120–6.
2.
Apak R, Güçlü K, Özyürek M, Karademir SE. Novel Total Antioxidant Capacity Index for Dietary Polyphenols and Vitamins C and E, Using Their Cupric Ion Reducing Capability in the Presence of Neocuproine: CUPRAC Method. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2004;52(26):7970–81.
3.
Arzamastseva NE, Lankin VZ, Konovalova GG, Tikhaze AK, Ageev FT, Lapina YuV, et al. Oxidative stress in patients with chronic heart failure and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. 2007;143(2):207–9.
4.
Balagopal P. Obesity-related cardiovascular risk in children and the role of lifestyle changes. Journal of the cardiometabolic syndrome. 2006;(4):269–76.
5.
Benzie IFF, Strain JJ. The Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP) as a Measure of “Antioxidant Power”: The FRAP Assay. Analytical Biochemistry. 1996;239(1):70–6.
6.
Bischoff H. Pharmacology of alphaglucosidase inhibition. European Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1994;(3):3–10.
7.
Bligh E, Dyer W. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Canadian Journal Of Biochemistry and Physiology. 1959;(8):911–7.
8.
CAILI F, HUAN S, QUANHONG L. A Review on Pharmacological Activities and Utilization Technologies of Pumpkin. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 2006;61(2):70–7.
9.
Del Rio D, Rodriguez-Mateos A, Spencer JPE, Tognolini M, Borges G, Crozier A. Dietary (Poly)phenolics in Human Health: Structures, Bioavailability, and Evidence of Protective Effects Against Chronic Diseases. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. 2013;18(14):1818–92.
10.
Demopoulos CA, Karantonis HC, Antonopoulou S. Platelet activating factor — a molecular link between atherosclerosis theories. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology. 2003;105(11):705–16.
11.
Demopoulos C, Pinckard R, Hanahan D. Platelet-activating factor -evidence for 1-o-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3phosphorylcholine as the active component (a new class of lipid chemical mediators). Journal of Biological Chemistry. 1979;(19):9355–8.
12.
Antonopoulou S. Lipid minor constituents in wines. A biochemical approach in the French paradox. International Journal of Wine Research. 2009;131.
13.
Fuentes Q. E, Fuentes Q. F, Andrés V, Pello OM, de Mora JF, Palomo G. I. Role of platelets as mediators that link inflammation and thrombosis in atherosclerosis. Platelets. 2012;24(4):255–62.
14.
Gawaz M. Platelets in inflammation and atherogenesis. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2005;115(12):3378–84.
15.
Giacco F, Brownlee M. Oxidative Stress and Diabetic Complications. Circulation Research. 2010;107(9):1058–70.
16.
Holt EM, Steffen LM, Moran A, Basu S, Steinberger J, Ross JA, et al. Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Its Relation to Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109(3):414–21.
17.
Jiang Z, Du Q. Glucose-lowering activity of novel tetrasaccharide glyceroglycolipids from the fruits of Cucurbita moschata. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2011;21(3):1001–3.
18.
Kadam PV, Patil MJ. Pharmacognostic study of Cucurbita moschata (Cucurbitaceae). Pharmacognosy Journal. 2013;
19.
Kadam MrPV, Yadav KN, Patel AN, Navsare VS, Bhilwade SK, Patil MJ. Phytopharmacopoeial specifications of Garcinia indica fruit rinds. Pharmacognosy Journal. 2012;4(31):23–8.
20.
Kampoli AM, Tousoulis D, Antoniades C, Siasos G, Stefanadis C. Biomarkers of premature atherosclerosis. Trends in Molecular Medicine. 2009;15(7):323–32.
21.
Karantonis HC, Antonopoulou S, Demopoulos CA. Antithrombotic Lipid Minor Constituents from Vegetable Oils. Comparison between Olive Oils and Others. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2002;50(5):1150–60.
22.
Karantonis HC, Fragopoulou E, Antonopoulou S, Rementzis J, Phenekos C, Demopoulos CA. Effect of fast-food Mediterranean-type diet on type 2 diabetics and healthy human subjects’ platelet aggregation. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2006;72(1):33–41.
23.
KARANTONIS HC, TSANTILA N, STAMATAKIS G, SAMIOTAKI M, PANAYOTOU G, ANTONOPOULOU S, et al. BIOACTIVE POLAR LIPIDS IN OLIVE OIL, POMACE AND WASTE BYPRODUCTS. Journal of Food Biochemistry. 2008;32(4):443–59.
24.
Karten B, Beisiegel U, Gercken G, Kontush A. Mechanisms of lipid peroxidation in human blood plasma: a kinetic approach. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids. 1997;88(2):83–96.
25.
Koike K, Li W, Liu L, Hata E, Nikaido T. New Phenolic Glycosides from the Seeds of Cucurbita moschata. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2005;53(2):225–8.
Li FS, Dou DQ, Xu L, Chi XF, Kang TG, Kuang HX. New phenolic glycosides from the seeds ofCucurbita moschata. Journal of Asian Natural Products Research. 2009;11(7):639–42.
28.
Libby P. Inflammatory Mechanisms: The Molecular Basis of Inflammation and Disease. Nutrition Reviews. 2007;65(12):140–6.
29.
Lin SD, Wang JS, Hsu SR, Sheu WHH, Tu ST, Lee IT, et al. The beneficial effect of α-glucosidase inhibitor on glucose variability compared with sulfonylurea in Taiwanese type 2 diabetic patients inadequately controlled with metformin: preliminary data. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications. 2011;25(5):332–8.
30.
Merrick L. Systematics and evolution of a domesticated squash. 1990;77–95.
31.
Naelsen C, Basu S, Wolk A, Vessby B. The importance of dietary antioxidants on plasma antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation in vivo in middle-aged men. Scandinavian Journal of Food and Nutrition. 2006;(2).
32.
Nasopoulou C, Karantonis HC, Detopoulou M, Demopoulos CA, Zabetakis I. Exploiting the anti-inflammatory properties of olive (Olea europaea) in the sustainable production of functional food and neutraceuticals. Phytochemistry Reviews. 2014;13(2):445–58.
33.
NOMIKOS T, KARANTONIS H, SKARVELIS C, DEMOPOULOS C, ZABETAKIS I. Antiatherogenic properties of lipid fractions of raw and fried fish. Food Chemistry. 2006;96(1):29–35.
34.
Nomikos T, Fragopoulou E, Antonopoulou S. Food ingredients and lipid mediators. Current Nutrition and Food Science. 2007;(4):255–76.
35.
Re R, Pellegrini N, Proteggente A, Pannala A, Yang M, Rice-Evans C. Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 1999;26(9–10):1231–7.
36.
Rondina MT, Weyrich AS, Zimmerman GA. Platelets as Cellular Effectors of Inflammation in Vascular Diseases. Circulation Research. 2013;112(11):1506–19.
37.
Sabaté J, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J. Nuts: nutrition and health outcomes. British Journal of Nutrition. 2006;96(S2):S1–2.
38.
Schnitzer E, Pinchuk I, Bor A, Fainaru M, Samuni AM, Lichtenberg D. Lipid oxidation in unfractionated serum and plasma. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids. 1998;92(2):151–70.
39.
Singleton V, Rossi J. Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic-phosphotungstic acid reagents. American journal of Enology and Viticulture. 1965;(3):144–58.
40.
Soong YY, Barlow PJ. Antioxidant activity and phenolic content of selected fruit seeds. Food Chemistry. 2004;88(3):411–7.
41.
Vinholes J, Grosso C, Andrade PB, Gil-Izquierdo A, Valentão P, Pinho PG de, et al. In vitro studies to assess the antidiabetic, anti-cholinesterase and antioxidant potential of Spergularia rubra. Food Chemistry. 2011;129(2):454–62.
42.
Xanthopoulou MN, Fragopoulou E, Kalathara K, Nomikos T, Karantonis HC, Antonopoulou S. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of red and white wine extracts. Food Chemistry. 2010;120(3):665–72.
43.
Yen GChin, Duh PDer, Tsai CLiang. Relationship between antioxidant activity and maturity of peanut hulls. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1993;41(1):67–70.
The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
