Antioxidant effects and physiological activities of pumpkin (cucurbita moschata Duch.) extract from different aerial parts

Abstract

This study investigated the antioxidant effects and physiological activities of extract from various parts of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch.) such as leaf, flesh, skin and seed. Different dried parts of C. moschata were boiled in ethanol for three hours, evaporated, and lyophilized with a freeze-dryer. Total polyphenol contents were the highest in leaf (29.62±0.88 mg GAE/g DM). The same result was observed in the measurement of the flavonoid content. The leaf extract of C. moschata had stronger DPPH radical-scavenging activities and ABTS-radical scavenging activities than any other part. Leaf extract of C. moschata was found to have the highest ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value. Meanwhile, at 0.1 mg/mL of all extracts higher degree of tyrosinase inhibitory effects than kojic acid was observed (leaf; 49.58%, flesh; 40.20%, skin; 41.30%, seed; 36.79% and kojic acid; 20.70%). The glycation inhibitory activity decreased in the order leaf>skin>flesh>seed. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of seed extract was the highest with a value of 63.58% at the concentration of 1 mg/mL. © The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology.