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SOFTENING OF PUMPKIN SEEDS (CUCURBITA MOSCHATA) BY ALKALINE MACERATION |
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| Authors: | S.M.B. CARAMEZ,M. STEFANI,J.D. MEDEIROS,M.A. VIEIRA,G.R. BRÜ SKE,A. DE FRANCISCO, E.R. AMANTE |
| Affiliation: | Food Science and Technology Department –Rod. Admar Gonzaga, 1346 –Itacorubi, CEP 88034001; Botanic Department; Cellular Biology, Embriology and Genetics Department/Santa Catarina Federal University/Biological Sciences Center –Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil |
| Abstract: | The nutritional value of pumpkin seeds is widely recognized. This article shows that alkaline maceration of pumpkin seed makes them soft and improves their market acceptability as an important source of fiber, unsaturated lipids, minerals and proteins. Microscopic characterization of pumpkin seeds was realized. The results indicate elimination of minerals from the seeds through the delignification process due to the nature of the phenolic compounds eliminated in the maceration liquid. The alkaline maceration process of pumpkin seeds may contribute to a larger consumption of fibers and other nutritive elements from them. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThis work shows that the pumpkin seeds softened by chemical maceration improve sensory preferences, compared to nonmacerated products. Solid waste from pumpkin process can be converted to a new product as a snack rich in fiber and other important compounds, normally discarded as an industrial solid waste. |
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