Pumpkin fruit selection of different types and varieties for the production of functional food products

Abstract

Consumers in Ukraine and around the world are increasingly interested in healthy lifestyles and functional foods with high biological value. For the production of such foods, it is important to select raw materials that meet a range of quality requirements. Pumpkin fruits have a high content of nutrients, vitamins, essential amino acids, and minerals that largely meet these requirements. The research aims to comprehensively evaluate pumpkin fruits of eight varieties of different types: large-fruited (Cucurbita maxima Duch) and butternut (Cucurbita moschata Duchex Poir), grown in the forest-steppe of Ukraine, to identify the most suitable for drying and production of functional foods. The experimental method was used following the research plan, the laboratory method was used to determine biochemical, biometric, and organoleptic quality indicators, and the statistical method was used to conduct dispersion and correlation analyses of the studied indicators. It has been established that when large-fruited pumpkin varieties are used for convective drying, 16.1-20.3% of dry products with a sugar content of 48.6-51.6% and 11-14 and 34.5-40.2% of nutmeg varieties, respectively, can be obtained. For the production of functional food products with a β-carotene content of 40-41 mg/100 g (in terms of dry matter), it is advisable to use the fruits of nutmeg varieties Gilea and Divo, and vitamin C at the level of 28 mg% – large-fruited varieties Slavuta and Polyovychka. The study revealed that with the increase in fruit weight, the content of dry matter (r=-0.68), sugars (r=-0.67) and the yield of finished products (r=-0.74) significantly decreases. A significant direct relationship between the content of dry matter and sugars (r=0.98), as well as the content of dry matter and the yield of finished products (r=0.94), was established. The materials of the article are of practical value for breeders, vegetable growers, and specialists of processing enterprises when choosing a type and variety of pumpkin for the production of functional foods