Cold pressed pumpkin seed oil
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Date
2020
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Abstract
Pumpkin has been extensively cultivated for centuries for its edible fruit and seeds. Its seeds contain substantial amounts of oil, which belong to the oleic-linoleic type of oil. It is commonly used as a salad oil in Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia. Pumpkin seed oil is a rich source of biologically active compounds. Hence, it is regarded as a “specialty oil.” The most important bioactive compounds of pumpkin seed oil are a-tocopherol, ?-tocopherol, a-tocotrienol, and ?-tocotrienol. Along with tocopherols, zeaxanthin, lutein, and a- and ß-carotene contribute to the oil’s superior antioxidant activity. Unlike in other plant seed oils, ?-7-sterols mainly occur in pumpkin seed oil. Additionally, phenolics, namely syringic, ferulic, caffeic, p-coumaric, vanillic, and protocatechuic acid, were also identified. Due to the significant health benefits of cold pressed pumpkin seed oil, the popularity of this oil has increased rapidly over the past few years. In this chapter, the cultivation and physicochemical properties of cold pressed oils obtained from different pumpkin varieties and their health promoting effects will be discussed. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.