Abstract
The seeds of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) remain as a by-product from juice production, but they can also be a potential resource of valuable nutrients. The objective of this study was to analyze the phytonutrient composition of the seeds isolated from fruit at two maturity stages unsuitable for regular realization (unripe and under-ripe), with the aim of identifying the possibility for utilization of such non-standard or discarded agricultural production. The results showed about 3-time lower oil content in the unripe seeds than in the under-ripe seeds (6.60% vs. 21.75%), but no significant differences in the content of protein (18.44% and 17.83%) and cellulose (26.63% and 26.14%). The total tocopherol content slightly decreased with the progress of fruit maturity (from 8354 mg/kg to 7118 mg/kg). Significant changes in the amino acid composition were found only with regard to aspartic acid, glutamic acid, tyrosine and methionine. The content of macro and micro minerals was lower in the under-ripe seeds (about 1.5-2-time). The results from this baseline study suggested that the seeds from both unripe and under-ripe fruit could also be considered for nutritive purposes (animal feed, food products).
Highlights
Physalis, a genus of herbaceous plants in the family Solanaceae, comprises over 100 species, among which Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) is one of the prevalent and commercially important [1]
Cape gooseberry seeds have been identified as sources of protein, essential amino acids, dietetic fibers, minerals, phenolics, and other nutrients [5, 6, 12, 15]
Seeds concentrate about 90% of the total oil content in the fruit [2, 11]; due to the high concentration of tocopherols, sterols, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds, seed oil has been assessed as a product of high nutritional value, which could find wider use in functional and dietetic food industry, as well as in phytopharmacy [2, 11, 12, 14, 16]
Summary
A genus of herbaceous plants in the family Solanaceae, comprises over 100 species, among which Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) is one of the prevalent and commercially important [1]. Limited research, has focused on the properties of Cape gooseberry fruit by-products, considered as waste in the industrial process (calyx, seeds, seed/peel pomace), despite their significant amounts and the recognition of their important role in folk medicine, associated with antiinflammatory, anti-proliferative, antiseptic, and other pharmacological effects [14]. Juice extraction in fruit processing produces serious amounts of pomace (waste, comprised of seeds, peels and pulp/juice residues), as it constitutes about 27.4% of fruit weight [12]; the seed/peel pomace has been characterized as a potentially valuable source of phytonutrients in food production [6, 12, 17]. It has been suggested that, in certain respects, the phytonutrient potential of seeds and seed/peel pomace from different juicy fruits, like papaya or passion fruit, may exceed that of fruit pulp [15, 18, 19]
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