FOOD. Science. Technology. Quality

Food. SCIENCE. Technology. Quality

Food. Science. TECHNOLOGY. Quality

Food. Science. Technology. QUALITY

Authors

AGNIESZKA NAWIRSKA, ANNA SOKÓŁ-ŁĘTOWSKA, ALICJA Z. KUCHARSKA, ANITA BIESIADA, MALWINA BEDNAREK

Title

Comparing the contents of dietary fibre fractions in some varieties of Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita pepo

Abstract

In the study performed, the contents of dietary fibre (DF) and its fractions were compared in four varieties of Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita pepo pumpkin. As for the pumpkin fruit, the contents of the following parameters were determined: dry matter, ash, acidic dietary fibre (ADF) fraction, neutral dietary fibre (NDF) fraction, cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. Furthermore, the components of soluble DF were determined, i.e. starch and pectins. It was proved that the pumpkin varieties examined significantly differed from each other in the content of DF and its fractions. The Ambar pumpkin variety showed the highest content of NDF and ADF in fresh mass (7.481 g/100 g and 1.463 g/100 g, respectively). The Pyza pumpkin variety was characterized by the lowest content of the two fractions (0.232 g/100 g and 0.223 g/100 g, respectively). In the 5, out of 8, pumpkin varieties investigated, hemicellulose showed the highest content in the DF fraction. The investigations performed show that the fruit of the majority of pumpkin varieties of C. maxima species contained significantly higher amounts of starch, pectins, NDF, and hemicelluloses compared to the fruit of the pumpkin varieties of C. Pepo pumpkin species. All other components of DF in the fruit of the two species were at a comparable level.

Keywords

pumpkin, NDF, ADF, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignins, pectins

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