Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.zle Europa 1, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
J Sci Food Agric. 2013 Mar 30;93(5):1035-41. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.5843. Epub 2012 Aug 30.
Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seed oil is a common product in Slovenia, Hungary and Austria and is considered a preventive agent for various pathologies, particularly prostate diseases. These properties are related to its high content of carotenoids and liposoluble vitamins. In this study the carotenoid (lutein and zeaxanthin), vitamin E (α- and γ-tocopherol) and fatty acid contents of 12 samples of commercial pumpkin seed oil were investigated together with the composition of the volatile fraction resulting from the roasting process.
The aromatic profile obtained from the commercial samples was directly related to the intensity of the roasting process of the crushed pumpkin seeds. The roasting temperature played a crucial role in the concentrations of volatile substances originating from Strecker degradation, lipid peroxidation and Maillard reaction.
The findings suggest that high-temperature roasting leads to the production of an oil with intense aromatic characteristics, while mild conditions, generally employed to obtain an oil with professed therapeutic characteristics, lead to a product with minor characteristic pumpkin seed oil aroma. The nutraceutical properties of the product are confirmed by the high content of α- and γ-tocopherol and carotenoids.
南瓜（Cucurbita pepo L.）籽油是斯洛文尼亚、匈牙利和奥地利常见的产品，被认为是预防各种疾病的药物，特别是前列腺疾病。这些特性与其类胡萝卜素和脂溶性维生素的高含量有关。在这项研究中，对 12 种市售南瓜籽油的类胡萝卜素（叶黄素和玉米黄质）、维生素 E（α-和γ-生育酚）和脂肪酸含量进行了研究，并对烘烤过程中产生的挥发性成分的组成进行了研究。
从商业样品中获得的芳香成分与粉碎南瓜籽的烘烤强度直接相关。烘烤温度在源于斯特雷克降解、脂质过氧化和美拉德反应的挥发性物质的浓度中起着关键作用。
研究结果表明，高温烘烤会产生具有浓郁芳香特性的油，而温和的条件，通常用于获得具有宣称治疗特性的油，会导致产品具有较小的南瓜籽油特征香气。产品的营养特性得到了α-和γ-生育酚和类胡萝卜素含量高的证实。
