Comparison of the effect of hydroethanolic and aqueous solvents on functional potential and evaluation of active compounds in pumpkin extract (Cucurbita moschata) by GC/MS method

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) is one of the vegetables that has high nutritional value and bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of hydroethanolic and aqueous solvents on the functional potential and to investigate the bioactive compounds of Pumpkin extract. For functional evaluation of extracts, the amount of ascorbic acid, total phenol and flavonoids, antioxidant capacity were performed by DPPH and FRAP methods and also the chemical compounds in the extracts were identified by GC/MS. The results showed highest levels of ascorbic acid, total phenol and flavonoids in the hydroethanolic extract were 98.66±13.29 mg/100g, 1.663±0.004 mg GA/100g and 0.381±0.01 mg QU/100g, respectively. Hydroethanolic extract showed the highest ability to inhibit DPPH radicals compared to aqueous extract in all prepared concentrations; so that hydroethanolic extract with a concentration of 800 μg/ml with 61.866% inhibition had the highest inhibitory properties. Detected chemical compounds in hydroethanolic and aqueous extracts using GC/MS were identified 16 and 7 chemical compounds, respectively, when the highest compound content in hydroethanolic extract equal to 34.86767% related to D-erythro-pentose, 2-deoxy and the aqueous extract was related to 5,2-dichlorophenol (74,2053%). The results of this study suggest the use of hydroethanolic solvent for higher extraction of bioactive compounds from pumpkin.