The properties of starches isolated from two squash cultivars (Cucurbita maxima) were studied and compared with those of two pumpkin cultivars (Cucurbita moschata) and one normal potato cultivar. The amylose content of pumpkin and squash starches ranged from 16.18% to 21.29%. The pumpkin and squash starches appeared as a mixture of spherical, polyhedral and dome shaped granules. The pumpkin and...

Salinity is an important factor in reduced cucumber yield and quality. Grafting on the resistant rootstock could keep growth near to optimum condition. The aim of the present research is to investigate the characteristics of different rootstocks on physiology and fruit characteristics of cucumber. Treatments were rootstocks [Rn: Nongrafted (Cucumis sativus v. DAVOSII), Rt: Tanbal (Cucurbita max...

Submitted: Mar 17, 2013; Accepted: May 1, 2013; Published: Aug 5, 2013 Abstract: Twelve accessions of tropical pumpkin of South Eastern Nigeria were evaluated in 2010 and 2011 to determine the extent of variability that exit in fruit, seed and leaf yield of the crop and to constitute a germplasm collections. Results of the study show that there exists a sufficient genetic variability among the ...

The aim of the present study was to determine the anti depressive activity of raw, autoclaved, boiled, germinated and roasted pumpkin seeds powder extract compared with the standard drug: Imipriamine (30 mg/kg) in normal and depressed control rats. Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (100 mg/kg) was used as the depression inducer in rats. The result shows that there was a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in ...

The processing methods, especially cooking, can cause quality losses, particularly in the nutritional value of fresh product. This study investigated effects preprocessing methods on properties pumpkin and physicochemical sensory yogurt. Two different varieties (Cucurbita pepo Cucurbita maxima) were subjected to three (freeze-drying, boiling, baking). Boiling significantly increased antioxidant...

Seeded pumpkins are important economic crops; the seeds contain various unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are crucial for human and animal nutrition. The fatty acid desaturase-2 (FAD2) gene encodes delta-12 desaturase, which converts oleic acid to linoleic acid. However, little is known about sequence variations in FAD2 in seeded pumpkins. Twenty-seven FAD2 cl...