Molecules, Vol. 27, Pages 8366: Biological Activity of Pumpkin Byproducts: Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties
Lillian Barros
Pumpkin fruits are widely appreciated and consumed worldwide. In addition to their balanced nutritional profile, pumpkin species also present valuable bioactive compounds that confer biological and pharmacological properties to them. However, the seeds, peels, and fibrous strands resulting from pumpkin processing are still poorly explored by the food industry. The current study used those fruit components from the genotypes of pumpkin that are economically significant in Portugal and Algeria to produce bioactive extracts. In order to support their usage as preservatives, their phenolic content (HPLC-D...
Source: Molecules - November 30, 2022 Category: Chemistry Authors: Maria G. Leichtweis Adriana K. Molina T ânia C. S. Pires Maria In ês Dias Ricardo Calhelha Khaldoun Bachari Borhane E. C. Ziani M. Beatriz P. P. Oliveira Carla Pereira Lillian Barros Tags: Article Source Type: research
Molecules, Vol. 27, Pages 8240: Unconventional Extraction of Total Non-Polar Carotenoids from Pumpkin Pulp and Their Nanoencapsulation
ina Cossignani
Pumpkin is considered a functional food with beneficial effects on human health due to the presence of interesting bioactives. In this research, the impact of unconventional ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction techniques on the recovery of total non-polar carotenoids from Cucurbita moschata pulp was investigated. A binary (hexane:isopropanol, 60:40 v/v) and a ternary (hexane:acetone:ethanol, 50:25:25 v/v/v) mixture were tested. The extracts were characterized for their antioxidant properties by in vitro assays, while the carotenoid profiling was determined by high-perfo...
Source: Molecules - November 25, 2022 Category: Chemistry Authors: Nicola Pinna Federica Ianni Francesca Blasi Arianna Stefani Michela Codini Stefano Sabatini Aur élie Schoubben Lina Cossignani Tags: Article Source Type: research
Molecules, Vol. 27, Pages 7530: Combination of Spray-Chilling and Spray-Drying Techniques to Protect Carotenoid-Rich Extracts from Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Byproducts, Aiming at the Production of a Powdered Natural Food Dye
rindade
Reducing waste, using byproducts, and natural food additives are important sustainability trends. In this context, the aim of this study was to produce and evaluate a natural food dye, extracted from pumpkin byproducts, powdered and protected by spray-chilling (SC) and a combination of spray-drying and spray-chilling techniques (SDC). The extract was obtained using ethanol as solvent; vegetable fat and gum Arabic were used as carriers. Formulations were prepared with the following core: carrier ratios: SC 20 (20 : 80), SC 30 (30 : 70), SC 40 ...
Source: Molecules - November 3, 2022 Category: Chemistry Authors: Priscilla Magalh ães de Lima Gustavo C ésar Dacanal Lorena Silva Pinho Samuel Henrique Gomes de S á Marcelo Thomazini Carmen S ílvia Favaro-Trindade Tags: Article Source Type: research
Integrated transcriptome and hormone analyses provide insights into silver thiosulfate-induced “maleness” responses in the floral sex differentiation of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata D.)
This study provides useful information for understanding the mechanism underlying the effect of silver thiosulfate on floral sex differentiation in pumpkin, a widely cultivated vegetable crop worldwide, and gives a production guidance for the induction of maleness using STS for the reproduction of gynoecious lines of Cucurbitaceae crops. (Source: Frontiers in Genetics)
Source: Frontiers in Genetics - August 29, 2022 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Coleoptera claws and trichome interlocking
AbstractThe present study tests the hypothesis that the specialized claws with a basal tooth found in some coccinellid beetles represent an adaptation to interlock with flexible unbranched trichomes of different plants. We compared the attachment ability of three Coleoptera species,Chnootriba elaterii, Harmonia axyridis (both Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), andChrysolina herbacea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with claws of different shape. The attachment ability of insect individuals with or without claws to a plant with leaves bearing straight non-branched trichomes (Cucurbita moschata) and to a plant with smooth leaves (Prunus...
Source: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology - May 26, 2022 Category: Physiology Source Type: research
Hand Dermatitis Secondary to Exposure to Butternut Squash
We present a 28-year-old male who developed dry and flaking skin of his right palm and fingers after coming in contact with butternut squash, which does not typically serve as an allergen that precipitates contact dermatitis. Given the unilateral localization of the dermatitis, timeline of the development of symptoms, and history of contact with butternut squash, the patient likely developed contact dermatitis of the right hand in response to exposure to butternut squash. Contact dermatitis with butternut squash appears to be an uncommon phenomenon, but it may occur more often and not be reported.Case Rep Dermatol 2022;14:...
Source: Case Reports in Dermatology - May 23, 2022 Category: Dermatology Source Type: research
Effects of ultrasonic treatment on color, carotenoid content, enzyme activity, rheological properties, and microstructure of pumpkin juice during storage
Ultrason Sonochem. 2022 Mar 5;84:105974. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2022.105974. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTFreshly squeezed pumpkin juice (Cucurbita moschata D.) was sonicated at various power levels at a constant frequency of 25 kHz and a treatment time of 10 min. Samples were stored in the dark for 0, 4, 8, and 12 days at 4 °C and were subsequently analyzed. The combined effects of power level and storage period on color parameters, carotenoid content, particle size distribution, cloud value, rheological characteristics, and microstructure were investigated. The results showed ultrasonic-treated samples had little effe...
Source: Ultrasonics Sonochemistry - March 15, 2022 Category: Chemistry Authors: Guanwen Suo Chunli Zhou Wei Su Xueyan Hu Source Type: research
Effects of ultrasonic treatment on color, carotenoid content, enzyme activity, rheological properties, and microstructure of pumpkin juice during storage
Ultrason Sonochem. 2022 Mar 5;84:105974. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2022.105974. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTFreshly squeezed pumpkin juice (Cucurbita moschata D.) was sonicated at various power levels at a constant frequency of 25 kHz and a treatment time of 10 min. Samples were stored in the dark for 0, 4, 8, and 12 days at 4 °C and were subsequently analyzed. The combined effects of power level and storage period on color parameters, carotenoid content, particle size distribution, cloud value, rheological characteristics, and microstructure were investigated. The results showed ultrasonic-treated samples had little effe...
Source: Ultrasonics Sonochemistry - March 15, 2022 Category: Chemistry Authors: Guanwen Suo Chunli Zhou Wei Su Xueyan Hu Source Type: research
Effects of ultrasonic treatment on color, carotenoid content, enzyme activity, rheological properties, and microstructure of pumpkin juice during storage
Ultrason Sonochem. 2022 Mar 5;84:105974. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2022.105974. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTFreshly squeezed pumpkin juice (Cucurbita moschata D.) was sonicated at various power levels at a constant frequency of 25 kHz and a treatment time of 10 min. Samples were stored in the dark for 0, 4, 8, and 12 days at 4 °C and were subsequently analyzed. The combined effects of power level and storage period on color parameters, carotenoid content, particle size distribution, cloud value, rheological characteristics, and microstructure were investigated. The results showed ultrasonic-treated samples had little effe...
Source: Ultrasonics Sonochemistry - March 15, 2022 Category: Chemistry Authors: Guanwen Suo Chunli Zhou Wei Su Xueyan Hu Source Type: research
Genetic variation among pumpkin landraces based on seed qualities and molecular markers
CONCLUSIONS: The study results could be helpful in the chemical phenotypic characterization and the parental selection and planning for future breeding programs for pumpkin improvement.PMID:35190926 | DOI:10.1007/s11033-022-07233-3 (Source: Molecular Biology Reports)
Source: Molecular Biology Reports - February 22, 2022 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Emad Mady Shafik D Ibrahim Reena Randhir Ahmed F Abd El-Hakim Timothy O Randhir Source Type: research
Genetic variation among pumpkin landraces based on seed qualities and molecular markers
CONCLUSIONS: The study results could be helpful in the chemical phenotypic characterization and the parental selection and planning for future breeding programs for pumpkin improvement.PMID:35190926 | DOI:10.1007/s11033-022-07233-3 (Source: Molecular Biology Reports)
Source: Molecular Biology Reports - February 22, 2022 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Emad Mady Shafik D Ibrahim Reena Randhir Ahmed F Abd El-Hakim Timothy O Randhir Source Type: research
Emerging Anthelmintic Resistance in Poultry: Can Ethnopharmacological Approaches Offer a Solution?
The objective of this study was to provide a basis for plant based anthelmintics as possible alternatives against poultry anthelmintic resistance. The study justified the need for alternative anthelmintics. The study places emphasis on the increasing anthelmintic resistance, mechanism of resistance, and preparational protocols for plant anthelmintics and their associated mechanism of action. Pharmaceutical studies on plants as alternative therapies for the control of helminth parasites have not been fully explored especially in several developing countries. Plants from a broad range of species produce a wide variety of com...
Source: Frontiers in Pharmacology - February 14, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research
In vivo pharmacokinetic study of a Cucurbita moschata polysaccharide after oral administration
This study aimed to elucidate the pharmacokinetic information (the plasma concentration-time curve, tissue distribution, and excretion profiles) of the pumpkin polysaccharide (PPc) in vivo after oral administration. Results revealed that PPc could enter into the blood and exhibited a relatively long circulation in the blood with a mean residence time (MRT) of 7.45 h and presented a higher aggregation of PPc in the liver and kidneys. To obtain the visualization of the systemic circulation of PPc, in vivo imaging was used with near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging, which distributed into various tissues with different re...
Source: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules - January 29, 2022 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Fei Li Yunlu Wei Jing Zhao Luyao Zhang Quanhong Li Source Type: research
In vivo pharmacokinetic study of a Cucurbita moschata polysaccharide after oral administration
This study aimed to elucidate the pharmacokinetic information (the plasma concentration-time curve, tissue distribution, and excretion profiles) of the pumpkin polysaccharide (PPc) in vivo after oral administration. Results revealed that PPc could enter into the blood and exhibited a relatively long circulation in the blood with a mean residence time (MRT) of 7.45 h and presented a higher aggregation of PPc in the liver and kidneys. To obtain the visualization of the systemic circulation of PPc, in vivo imaging was used with near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging, which distributed into various tissues with different re...
Source: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules - January 29, 2022 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Fei Li Yunlu Wei Jing Zhao Luyao Zhang Quanhong Li Source Type: research
