Bioaccessibility of Carotenoids and Polyphenols in Organic Butternut Squash (<i>Cucurbita moschata</i>): Impact of Industrial Freezing Process

Creative Commons License

Kamiloğlu Beştepe S., Koc Alibasoglu E., Acoglu Celik B., Çelik M., Bekar E., Ünal T. T., ...Daha Fazla

FOODS, cilt.13, sa.2, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 13 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/foods13020239
  • Dergi Adı: FOODS
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, CAB Abstracts, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Cucurbita moschata var. Butternut, epicatechin, HPLC-PDA, in vitro digestion, individual quick freezing, industrial waste, syringic acid, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS, β-carotene
  • Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) is recognized as a functional food due to its abundant content of health-promoting compounds, including carotenoids and polyphenols. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of industrial freezing stages on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and polyphenols in organic Butternut squash supplied for baby food. Identification and quantification of bioactive compounds were carried out using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and HPLC-PDA, respectively. The results revealed that industrial freezing of squash did not cause a significant change in bioaccessibility of alpha- and beta-carotene. On the other hand, frozen squash was found to contain higher levels of bioaccessible epicatechin (main flavonoid) (117.5 mg/kg) and syringic acid (main phenolic acid) (32.0 mg/kg) compared to fresh internal fruit. Moreover, the levels of bioaccessible epicatechin and syringic acid were found to be the highest in discarded pomace and seed sample (454.0 and 132.4 mg/kg, respectively). Overall, this study emphasized that industrial freezing could be an effective strategy for preserving carotenoid bioaccessibility in organic Butternut squash, while also enhancing the levels of bioaccessible polyphenols. In addition, we also demonstrated that pomace and seed, which are discarded as waste, have significant potential to be utilized as a food source rich in bioactive compounds.