Pumpkin Samples Research Articles

Aspecte teoretice ale tehnologiei de uscare a dovleacului

The article presents the processing of experimental drying curves, obtained in different regimes of convective drying of pumpkin (temperature 50–100 ºC; air velosity 1.3–4.1 m/s). The individual drying curves in the form of a generalized dependence in the coordinates (U–Ue)/(Ucr1 –Ue) – N τ /( UcrI –Ue) are presented, and the 2nd critical point at a moisture content of 2.0 g/g s.u. in the period of decreasing the drying velocity, was identified. Mathematical models were obtained to express the generalized drying curves in two ranges of the moislegumicultură ture content (6,9–2,0) and (2,0–0,1) g/g s.u., also a very high degree of compliance with the experimental data was detected. The influence of special processing before drying (blanching, blanching + spraying with a cornstarch suspension), the packaging medium (air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen) and the storage duration on the carotene content of gradually dried pumpkin samples, so that the product temperature did not exceed 66 ºC, was studied.

UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and chemometrics unveil metabolic patterns and their regulatory pathways over the course of pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita maxima) germination

While pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita maxima) are regarded as agro-industrial waste, they serve as powerhouses packed with a plethora of valuable compounds with potential nutraceutical significance. The present work offers an integrated view of metabolites dynamics and their regulatory pathways over the course of pumpkin seeds germination and their potential entanglements on Alzheimerʼs disease (AD) mitigation through Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis and chemometrics. A total of 76 compounds spanning amino acids, phenolic acid, flavonoids, lignans, vitamins, fatty acids, phospholipids and phytosterols were annotated revealing changing trends during germination process. Coincidentally, orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) demonstrated a clear separation trend among the five pumpkin samples assuring their chemical heterogeneity. Complementarily, OPLS-DA models were constructed in different timepoint comparisons to pick out the significant metabolic features which were subsequently imported into MetaboAnalyst 5.0 (https://www.metaboanalyst.ca/) software for metabolic pathway enrichment analysis. Enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis as the top predictive metabolic pathways associated with significant phytochemical shifts during germination process. Importantly, our efficacy experimental results dissected that 5 d and 7 d sprouted samples exerted noteworthy inhibitory potentials against acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO-B) enzymes. OPLS-derived coefficients plots portrayed that docosahexaenoic acid, oleic acid, lirioresinol A and tocotrienols dramatically augmented during germination were probably ascribed to promising AChE and MAO-B inhibitory activities. These findings offer a turning point for using pumpkin sprouts with an appreciable biochemical content to pursue the concept of nutritional therapy and accelerate perpetual influx of novel bioproducts to rectify AD.

Intra-annual and regional variability of the oleic acid and linoleic acid content of pumpkin seed oil over a 10-year period

Pumpkin seed oil, extracted from roasted and hulled pumpkin seeds, is prized for its distinct nutty flavor and deep amber color. Its significance in gastronomy lies in its rich flavor profile and nutritional benefits, which enhance dishes with both taste and health-promoting properties. Despite a notable increase in production, particularly in Croatia and other regions, there remains a gap in research regarding how factors such as production year and geographic origin influence its quality and health-related compounds. In this study, we analyzed the fatty acid composition of 928 samples of pumpkin seed oil from Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Hungary, produced between 2014 and 2023, using GC-FID, with a focus on linoleic and oleic acids. Our findings revealed significant year-to-year variability, particularly evident in 2019 samples, which exhibited higher oleic acid and lower linoleic acid content, resulting in the highest oleic acid to linoleic acid ratio. Additionally, cold-pressed oils showed a slightly higher ratio, and a significant regional influence was observed, with Austrian oils having a lower ratio compared to those from Croatia and Slovenia. This observed variation may be attributed to changing climatic conditions or shifts in producer practices, though further research is needed to validate these hypotheses.

Accuracy of Declared Salt Content on Traffic Light Labelling of Nuts and Seeds in Isfahan, Iran.

Regarding the importance of the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and higher consumption of salt among the Iranian population than the level recommended by the World Health Organization, the aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the salt mentioned in the traffic light labelling of nuts and seeds. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. A total of 53 packaged nuts and seeds, including 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, and 10 samples of pumpkin, pistachios, almond, sunflower, peanut, and watermelon nuts and seeds, respectively, with traffic light labelling, were randomly purchased from several local markets in Isfahan, Iran. The amount of sodium was measured by the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy technique and then multiplied by 2.5 to achieve the amount of salt. Varying levels of traffic light labeling value accuracy were observed in most of the samples. In the almond, pistachio, peanut, and watermelon groups, the average amount of laboratory value had a statistically significant difference with the label value (P<0.05). The results demonstrated that the salt content of 82% of the studied samples had discrepancies with the values stated on the traffic light labelling. The presentation of an accurate amount of salt content is essential for promoting healthy eating habits and enabling individuals to make informed choices about their diet. It is recommended that regulatory authorities should review labelling guidelines and enforce stricter compliance to ensure accurate representation of salt content on packaged foods.

Influence of the fruit parts on bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, polyphenols, fatty acid and mineral contents of the pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.) fruits

SummaryIn the current work, the effect of pumpkin parts on the oil content, total phenol, flavonoid, carotenoid quantities, antioxidant capacity, phenolic components, fatty acid profiles and mineral profiles of pumpkin parts was investigated. Total carotenoid and phenolic amounts of pumpkin parts were recorded to be from 36.84 (seed) and 29.92 μg g−1 (pulp) to 28.75 (pulp) and 67.68 mgGAE/100 g (peel) respectively. Also, total flavonoid quantities of the parts of pumpkin were assigned between 21.07 mg/100 g (pulp) and 220.36 mg/100 g (seed), while antioxidant activities of pumpkin samples range from 0.04 mmol kg−1 (pulp) to 0.82 mmol kg−1 (seed). Catechin and caffeic acid amounts of pumpkin parts varied from 13.25 (seed) and 77.31 mg/100 g (peel) to 4.70 (seed) and 7.60 mg/100 g (peel) respectively. The amount of catechin detected in the pumpkin peel was approximately two and five times higher than the pulp part. Resveratrol content was lowest in the pulp part of the pumpkin. Oleic and linoleic acid values of the oils ranged from 19.23% (peel) to 29.16% (seed) and from 18.15% (peel) to 51.06% (seed) respectively. Stearic, oleic and linoleic acids of pumpkin pulp oil were higher than pumpkin peel oil. Pumpkin seed oils are rich in oleic and linoleic acids. P, K, Mg, S and Fe were the dominant biogenic minerals of pumpkin parts. The most of total carotenoids and total phenols were accumulated in the peel part of the pumpkin fruit. The total flavonoid quantity of pumpkin seeds was approximately three times higher than the pumpkin peel part and ten times higher than the pulp part.

Productivity and quality of collection samples of pumpkin (&lt;i&gt;Cucurbita &lt;/i&gt; L.) in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia

Relevance. Currently, the priority direction in the development of the food industry is the use of local raw materials and the production of products with increased nutritional value, i.e. with an increased content of micronutrients, which include vitamins, minerals, macro and microelements. One of these products of plant origin is the pumpkin culture. The cultivation of high-yielding, versatile, nutrient-rich crops, such as pumpkin, plays an important role in ensuring food security. When breeding new improved varieties, special attention is paid to the adaptability of the crop to growing conditions, as well as to portion fruits with high taste and technological qualities.Purpose. Selection of the most adapted, productive, high-quality pumpkin samples for breeding and their cultivation in industrial production and the private sector in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia.Material and methods. Field research was conducted in 2021-2022 at the experimental site of the selection (organic) crop rotation, in the educational and experimental farm of the Omsk State Agrarian University. Meteorological conditions during the years of the experiments were different, but quite typical for the climate of the southern forest-steppe of the Omsk region. The object of research are 5 varieties of large-fruited pumpkin: Dietary, Red etamp, Crumb, Honey crumb, Honey dessert; two samples of selection of the Omsk State Agrarian University: 1/15, 2/15; three samples of selection of the FGBOU IN RGAZU: 4/21, 5/21, 7/21. Observations, accounting and analysis were carried out according to generally accepted methods.Results. The biological yield of the studied cultivars varies from 10.3 to 42.2 t/ha in 2021 and from 18.2 to 35.8 t/ha in 2022.

Surveillance of mycotoxin contaminants and mycotoxigenic fungi in agricultural produce

Food crops, including vegetables, are prone to attack by pathogenic and mycotoxigenic fungi and represent a food safety and public health risk. The study aimed to detect and quantify mycotoxins in vegetables widely consumed in Mauritius. Diseased samples of garlic, onion, potato, pumpkin and tomato were collected post-harvest. Following microscopic identification of the suspect pathogen(s), samples were tested for mycotoxins by ELISA. Results demonstrated a high mean level of citrinin in garlic (5,448.6 μg/kg) and ochratoxin in onion (9.25 μg/kg), which exceeded the permissible limits, thus pointing to potential health risks associated with the consumption of these vegetables.

VPBR: An Automatic and Low-Cost Vision-Based Biophysical Properties Recognition Pipeline for Pumpkin.

Pumpkins are a nutritious and globally enjoyed fruit for their rich and earthy flavor. The biophysical properties of pumpkins play an important role in determining their yield. However, manual in-field techniques for monitoring these properties can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address this, this research introduces a novel approach that feeds high-resolution pumpkin images to train a mathematical model to automate the measurement of each pumpkin's biophysical properties. Color correction was performed on the dataset using a color-checker panel to minimize the impact of varying light conditions on the RGB images. A segmentation model was then trained to effectively recognize two fundamental components of each pumpkin: the fruit and vine. Real-life measurements of various biophysical properties, including fruit length, fruit width, stem length, stem width and fruit peel color, were computed and compared with manual measurements. The experimental results on 10 different pumpkin samples revealed that the framework obtained a small average mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 2.5% compared to the manual method, highlighting the potential of this approach as a faster and more efficient alternative to conventional techniques for monitoring the biophysical properties of pumpkins.

Major and heavy metals contents and health risk assessment of pumpkin peel, flesh and seed by microwave plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of major (Na, Mg, K, Ca) and heavy (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd) metals and health risk assessment of the peel, flesh and seed of pumpkins cultivated in Ethiopia, using microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Dried powdered samples (0.5 g) were wet digested with 69% HNO3 and 30% H2O2 in microwave digester. The percent recovery for the three parts of pumpkin samples were 90-110%. The mean concentration of metals in pumpkin peel, flesh, seed samples, respectively, were K (27806±9767, 29531±2452, 10667±1133), Ca (5267±2092, 3190±900, 2919±397), Mg (4716±469, 848±349, 4668±413), Fe (158±29, 111±46, 225±56), Na (167±116, 63.1±15, 171±123), Mn (28.9±1.4, 9.61±3.2, 33.4±4.9), Zn (24.2±4.4, 10.6±4.0, 67.5±12.3), Cu (8.14±1.1, 15.1±9.3, 10.8±0.9), Ni (3.79±2.4, 2.14±1.3, 3.44±2.8), Cr (0.28±0.1, 0.36±0.2, 0.69±0.1), Cd (0.24±0.1, 0.46±0.1, 1.39±0.2) mg/kg. The hazard index (HI) of pumpkin flesh and seed indicated ingestion of pumpkin is safe from non-carcinogenic risk. The total cancer risk (CR) due to consumption of pumpkin flesh and seed through Cr and Cd from the three sampling sites are in the range 1.1 x 10-4 -1.8 x 10-4, indicating a non-risk of exposure to cancer due to the consumption of pumpkin grown in the sampling areas.&#x0D; &#x0D; KEY WORDS: Pumpkin, Mineral content, Health risk, Microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry&#x0D; &#x0D; Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(3), 533-551. &#x0D; DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i3.1

Mathematical Modeling and Optimization of Ultrasonic Pre-Treatment for Drying of Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata)

Innovations in food drying processes are usually aimed at reducing drying time and improving the overall properties of dried products. These are important issues from an economic and environmental point of view and can contribute to the sustainability of the whole process. In this study, the effects of ultrasonic treatment on the drying kinetics of pumpkin pulp are investigated, and mathematical models to predict the drying kinetics are analyzed and optimized. The results show that ultrasonic pretreatment significantly reduces drying time from 451 to 268 min, with optimal processing parameters at 90% of the maximum ultrasonic power and a processing time of 45 min. The total color change of the samples was the lowest at the obtained optimal processing parameters. Based on the values (RMSE and R2) of the investigated mathematical drying models, it was found that the Weibull model is the best fit for the experimental data and is considered suitable for the drying kinetics of ultrasonically pretreated pumpkin samples. In this study, an artificial neural network with 15 neurons in hidden layers was also used to model the drying process in combination with ultrasound pretreatment. The network had a performance of 0.999987 and the mean square error was 8.03 × 10−5, showing how artificial neural networks can successfully predict the effects of all tested process variables on the drying time/moisture ratio.

First Report of Cucurbit Chlorotic Yellows Virus Affecting Squash and Pumpkin in Florida

A field survey was conducted in Florida during 2020-2021 in squash and pumpkin research fields to identify the viruses associated with leaf symptoms of yellowing, crumpling, and vein yellowing. The symptoms were similar to previously reported whitefly transmitted viruses such as cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV), cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), and squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV). Another potential virus of interest was the cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) that was recently reported on watermelon in Florida. Symptomatic leaves were tested by RT-PCR with coat protein (CP) gene-specific (GS) primers for CuLCrV, CYSDV, CCYV, and SqVYV with nuclear inclusion protein (NIa) GS primers. Amplifications for CuLCrV, CYSDV, and CCYV were detected in squash and pumpkin samples. The CCYV amplicons were further sequenced and compared with available CCYV sequences. The NCBI BLAST analysis revealed similarities of the RdRP (100%), HSP70h (99.75%), and CP (99.75%) to the Shanghai CCYV isolates (RNA KY400636 and RNA2 KY400633). To our knowledge, this is the first report of CCYV on squash and pumpkin in Florida.

Volatiles and Transcriptome Profiling Revealed the Formation of ‘Taro-like’ Aroma in the Leaf of Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata)

‘Taro-like’ odor is an important economic trait of pumpkin species. The metabolic and molecular bases of this aromatic trait remain largely unexplored. Therefore, in this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC-Olfactometry, and RNA-seq technology were used to illuminate the differential volatile compounds, the key volatile compounds, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in leaves from two pumpkin samples. Eight volatile compounds, including (E)-2-nonenal, 3-octanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 1-nonanol, α-terpineol, 2,3-pentanedione, caryophyllene, and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, were only detected in the sample with ‘taro-like’ aroma. Moreover, the variable importance in projection scores of all the above eight volatile compounds were &gt;1.0 using PLS-DA analysis. The compounds 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 3-octanol, 1-nonanol, and (E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal were identified as the key contributors using GC-Olfactometry analysis. It was determined that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline might play a significant role in ‘taro-like’ aroma. Furthermore, most of the differential volatile compounds were derived from fatty acids, and the DEGs were also involved in the pathways related to degradation, metabolism, and biosynthesis of fatty acids. Moreover, five genes involved in the accumulation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline showed differential expression, and their expression trends were consistent with 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. This study offers the basis for further studies on the mechanism of ‘taro-like’ aroma in pumpkins.

The Optimization of the Physical–Thermal and Bioactive Properties of Pumpkin Slices Dried in a Hybrid Microwave–Convective Dryer Using the Response Surface Method

This study investigates the applicability of a microwave–convective dryer (MCD) to the processing of pumpkin slices considering the influence of process variables such as air temperature and microwave power on some thermal (drying time and specific energy consumption (SEC)), quality (rehydration ratio (RR), shrinkage (S), color, and vitamin C content), and bioactive (total phenol (TPC) and antioxidant contents (AC)) features. The impacts of temperature and microwave power were explored on the thermal, quality, and bioactive properties using the the response surface method (RSM). In each experiment, 100 g of the pumpkin samples was dried at an airflow of 1 m/s and various air temperatures (50, 60, and 70 °C) and microwave powers (180, 360, and 540 W). The results indicated that the temperature and microwave power can significantly affect the drying time and SEC (p ≤ 0.01) such that increasing the temperature and microwave power decreased the drying time and SEC. The highest RR, AC, TPC, and vitamin C, as well as the lowest color variation and shrinkage, were observed at microwave power of 360 W and temperature of 60 °C. The optimal drying of the pumpkin samples involved the temperature of 63.66 °C and microwave power of 426.94 W. The predicted response for the mentioned condition included the drying time of 47.38 min, SEC of 30.87 MJ/kg, S of 25.44%, color of 12.74, RR of 5.21, TPC of 658.24 MgGA/100 gdw, AC of 82.11%, and VC of 4.78 mg/g DM.

Assessment of the 'taro-like' aroma of pumpkin fruit (Cucurbita moschata D.) via E-nose, GC-MS and GC-O analysis.

'Taro-like' aroma is a pleasant flavor and value-added trait in pumpkin species imparted by unknown key volatile compounds. In this study, we used the electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and GC-Olfactometry (GC-O) to study the aroma profile, volatile compounds, and keycontributors, respectively. By E-nose and GC-MS, we found significant differences in the aroma profiles and volatile compounds between fruits from five samples with/without 'taro-like' aroma. According to the analysis of differential volatile compounds obtained from GC-MS and the GC-O analysis of the sample with 'taro-like' aroma, we found that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline representing the 'taro' odor was only identified in the sample with 'taro-like' aroma. Therefore, we conclude that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline is the key contributor to the 'taro-like' aroma. Moreover, the relationship between 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and 'taro-like' aroma was further verified via other pumpkin samples. Our results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the aroma characteristics of pumpkin fruit.

Effect of processing on polyphenols in butternut pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata)

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) is consumed worldwide with a diverse array of phytochemicals, including phenolics, that have therapeutic properties such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Nevertheless, detailed information on polyphenol content in pumpkin processing is still limited. Therefore, the present work aimed to investigate the changes in polyphenol content and their antioxidant potential during pumpkin processing, followed by their comprehensive characterization and quantification using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array (HPLC-PDA). The antioxidant results showed that pumpkins’ seeds and skins (PSS) contained the highest total phenolic content (TPC, 0.39 mg gallic acid equivalent mg/g) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC, 0.35 mg ascorbic acid equivalent mg/g), respectively. However, separated pumpkin puree (SPP) had a higher total condensed tannins content (TCT, 0.15 mg catechin equivalent mg/g). The LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS tentatively identified a total of 23 phenolic compounds present in the five pumpkin samples. Through HPLC-PDA quantification, the most abundant phenolic compounds were epicatechin (6.645 μg/g) and catechin (6.146 μg/g) detected in PSS. The comprehensive characterization and quantification of phenolics in processed pumpkins indicate the importance of pumpkins as a promising source of polyphenols with antioxidant properties. This study provides supportive information on the utilization of pumpkin phenolics in the food, pharmacological, and nutraceutical industries.

Squash Leaf Curl Virus: Species of Begomovirus as the Cause of Butternut Squash Yield Losses in Indonesia

Curling symptom was found in pumpkin plants in Bali, and the PCR detection result using Begomovirus universal primers indicated Begomovirus infection. Further research was conducted to determine the distribution, molecular character of SLCV, and yield loss of the pumpkins. Sampling was carried out at pumpkin plantations in 9 districts in Bali. Detection and identification were carried out using PCR method, followed by cloning and DNA sequencing. DNA band with the measurement of 900 bp was successfully amplified from several pumpkin samples from Denpasar, Gianyar, and Buleleng. Homology analysis of nucleotide sequences using the database in GenBank of SLCV of Balinese isolates showed the highest homology and kinship of 97.3-98.4% and 98.4-99.3% respectively with East Timor isolates from pumpkin plants. The phylogeny analysis showed that SLCV Indonesian isolates were in the same group as Asian isolates. The result of this study is the first report on infection and molecular characterization of SLCV in pumpkin plants in Indonesia. The yield loss caused by curling disease on individual pumpkin plants was 56.3%, and the disease caused a decrease in the quality of harvest fruits. Yield loss estimation caused by the disease in fields with different levels of disease intensity ranged from 10.02 to 25.83%. It was equal to yield loss ranging from IDR 878,400.00 to IDR 10,826,400.00 depending on the disease intensity. It is found that the correlation between curling disease severity and yield loss was high.

Molecular evidence for the occurrence of Pumpkin yellows virus (PuYV), a new polerovirus species associated with pumpkin plants.

In India, cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus, a cucurbit-infecting polerovirus, is emerging in the recent past with respect to its occurrence on different crops and geographical locations. This emphasized the need for an investigation to search for the possible occurrence of the other related species Polerovirus. In this view, different cucurbit hosts exhibiting severe chlorosis, bleaching, and yellowing symptoms were collected from the Vegetable Experimental Fields of IARI, New Delhi. The samples exhibiting yellowing and bleaching symptoms were associated with small isometric virions measuring ~ 25nm under transmission electron microscope. The RT-PCR assays using generic (covering the partial RdRp, intergenic region and partial CP region) andcomplete coat protein (CP) gene-specific primers confirmed the association of a polerovirus. Further, complete CP genesequence analyses revealed the association of a distinct species of Polerovirus with the pumpkin samples. These isolates showed the CP gene sequence identities below the species demarcation limit (90%) with the corresponding gene sequences of already reported polerovirus isolates. The results of this study provide the molecular evidence for the occurrence of a new species of Polerovirus, named tentatively as Pumpkin yellows virus (PuYV) in India.

Variations of polyphenols, sugars, carotenoids, and volatile constituents in pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) during high pressure processing: A kinetic study

High pressure processing (HPP) is an attractive technology for the preservation of vegetables with health promoting properties such as pumpkins. In this study pumpkin cubes were treated at six different pressures (100 to 600 MPa) at 20 °C for 3 min. Polyphenols (extracted both with solvent and by squeezing the residual material), carotenoids, sugars, and volatiles were evaluated. HPP at medium pressures (200–400 MPa) resulted in higher number of extractable polyphenols. Total sugars in HPP-treated samples were overall declining with increasing pressure. The total amount of carotenoids was higher in samples treated at lower pressures (100–300 MPa) and in the one at 600 MPa compared to untreated ones. Regarding volatile compounds, significant changes were observed for some aldehydes that increase after HPP application. This study revealed that treatment with intermediate pressure could ensure a higher amount of “availability” of polyphenols, carotenoids, volatiles, and total sugars in pumpkin samples.

Antibiotic resistance profiling and molecular detection of Escherichia coli Pathotypes isolated from irrigated fresh vegetables

Background: Vegetables are vital to our health and well-being providing essential vitamins, minerals and fibre. E. coli is an important agent of food and waterborne illnesses in humans. In the present study, antibiotic susceptibility and molecular detection of E. coli pathotypes isolated from fresh vegetables were carried out. Methods: A total of 135 vegetable samples of spinach, water leaves and pumpkin leaves were collected and diarrheagenic E. coli were identified using the standard microbiological method. The antibiotic susceptibility test for the isolates was carried out and interpreted in accordance with clinical and laboratory standard institute (CLSI) protocol. The molecular detection of E. coli was carried out using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Results: Out of the 135 samples the occurrence of E. coli was 37.7%. The highest percentage occurrence was observed from pumpkin leaves (46,6%), and Water leaves (40.0%), while spinach has the lowest (26.6%). E. coli isolated from water leaves were highly susceptible to imipenem (83.3%) followed by Gentamicin (77.8%), Ciprofloxacin (66.7%), Ceftazidime (61.1%), Ampicillin (55.6%), Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (50.0%), Cefotaxime (44.4%), Cefoxitin (33.3%), Septrin (38.8%) and the lowest was Streptomycin (25.9%). The E. coli pathotype that was detected were eltB (33.0%) from spinach only, ial from spinach and water leaves each (33%), Vt2 from Pumpkin leaves (33%) and estA from spinach, water leaves, and Pumpkin leaves each (100%). Conclusion: The E. coli isolated from the fresh vegetables were multi-drug resistant and different E. coli Pathotype genes were detected. This observation presents a direct challenge to public health, where E. coli could serve as a gene pool for horizontal gene spread of antibiotic resistance genes

Determination of Heavy Metals, Arsenic, and Aluminum Content in Pumpkin Seed Herbal Substance and Native Products, by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Pumpkin seeds belong to the so-called native products. Their characteristic feature is that they can be consumed directly, without prior extraction of the starting material. All elemental toxicants contained in pumpkin seeds are transferred in full to the native product. Therefore, it is important to study specific aspects of elemental toxicant accumulation by pumpkin seeds.The aim of the study was to determine the content of heavy metals, As, and Al in pumpkin seed herbal substance and native products, and to assess the degree of accumulation of these elements, depending on the vegetation area.Materials and methods: the study evaluated pumpkin seed native products by Russian manufacturers as well as pumpkin seeds harvested in areas with different anthropogenic load. The sample preparation was performed by microwave digestion, and the determination of the elemental toxicants was perfomed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.Results: the pumpkin seeds were shown to contain essential, probably essential, potentially toxic, and toxic elements. The authors performed comparative analysis of the elemental composition of pumpkin seeds as well as seeds, grains, and beans of various oil-bearing, grain, and leguminous crops.Conclusions: the content of the specified elemental toxicants (As, Cd, Hg, Pb) in the tested samples of pumpkin seed herbal substance and herbal medicinal products did not exceed the limits established by the Russian Pharmacopoeia. The unspecified toxic elements were either absent in pumpkin seeds (Tl) or found in trace amounts (Al). The content of a number of essential elements (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Mo, Cr) in pumpkin seeds was higher than in the seeds of many oil-bearing crops. The vegetation area had no significant influence on the content of the tested elements in the pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are capable of accumulating abnormally high amounts of Cd, Co, and Ni in areas with high environmental pollution.