Japanese pumpkin flour (Cucurbita Maxima Duch. X C. Moschata Duch.): biological properties, bioaccessibility and intestinal absorption

Japanese pumpkin is a popular vegetable due to its taste and versatility of consumption. It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, as well as having biological properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proximate composition, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, toxicity and in vitro digestion. The results obtained for the proximate composition were: the lowest moisture content in the peel flour was 3.63% ±0.05; the lowest lipid content in the pulp flour was 3.27%±0.07 and the highest carbohydrate content was 53.25±0.08; the lowest ash content in the seed flour was 3.21%±0.07 and the highest protein content was 46.39. For phenolic compounds the values for the whole flour in the basolateral fraction were 7.48 ± 1.09 mgEAG/g , a value close to the crude extract with 8.27 ± 0.12 mgEAG/g so the bioactive compounds present in the crude extract were preserved after digestion. For antioxidant activity by ORAC (ROO∙)the flour with the highest activity was that of the seed, 292.62 ± 33.99 µmolTEAC/mg in the extract and after digestion, the basolateral fraction with 948.67 ± 19.15 µmolTEAC/mg . For the in vivo toxicity test by Galleria Mellonella, the test was carried out for 24, 28 and 72 hours, evaluating the lethality level of the injected doses (10 mg/kg) where the survival rate was 100%. Data such as that from this project provides the scientific community with in-depth knowledge of the biological properties of Japanese pumpkin and offers the possibility of formulating new products.