Abstract
Pumpkins (Cucurbita spp.) are a widely cultivated vegetable in traditional agricultural regions. A high abundance of bioactive ingredients like carotenoids and polyphenols contribute to their status as a functional food, offering diverse health benefits such as antibacterial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive properties. This research aimed to optimize the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of pumpkin powder to obtain an extract with the highest yield of carotenoids and polyphenols. The targeted compounds were quantified using spectrophotometric analysis during pressurized liquid extraction. Antioxidant activity, assessed by DPPH and ABTS assays, was also determined using a spectrophotometer. The optimization process employed an artificial neural network (ANN) approach, investigating extraction parameters such as temperature, extraction time, and number of cycles. The results revealed that the ASE should be performed at an elevated temperature, with reduced extraction time and an average of two cycles, to achieve an optimal extract with elevated carotenoid and polyphenol content as well as high antioxidant potential. Further characterization of the optimal extract will involve analyzing its chemical composition and bioactivity, while future studies should explore different solution types. These findings hold promising applications for the functional food industry.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, A.S. and A.M. (Anamarija Mandić); methodology, A.S. and L.P.; software, L.P.; validation, A.S., L.P. and M.P.; formal analysis, M.M. and N.Đ.I.; investigation, M.M. and A.M. (Aleksandra Mišan); resources, A.M. (Aleksandra Mišan); data curation, M.M., A.S., L.P., A.M. (Anamarija Mandić) and M.P.; writing—original draft preparation, M.M. and N.Đ.I.; writing—review and editing, A.S. and A.M. (Aleksandra Mišan); visualization, M.M.; supervision, A.S.; project administration, M.P.; funding acquisition, A.M. (Aleksandra Mišan). All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia for the funding of the IDEAS project ‘Novel extracts and bioactive compounds from under-utilized resources for high-value applications—BioUtilize’, number ‘77501680’ and Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia under the Agreements on the Implementation and Financing of Research (nos. 451-03-47/2023-01/200222 and 451-03-47/2023-01/200051).
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors on request.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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