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. 2024 Jul 9;12(9):6742-6751.
doi: 10.1002/fsn3.4294. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Effect of fertilizers on yield, phytochemical, and antioxidant properties of Cucurbita moschata fruits

Boudjeka Guemkam Vanessa  1   2 , Tchiazé Ifoué Alice  3 , Djeukeu Asongni William  2   4 , Demasse Mawamba Adelaide  2 , Loé-Etame Gisèle  5 , Nina-Nicoleta Condurache  6 , Ștefania-Adelina Milea  6 , Mihaela Cotarlet  6 , Dongho Dongmo Fabrice  2 , Gouado Inocent  2 , Gabriela Iordachescu  6
Affiliations

Effect of fertilizers on yield, phytochemical, and antioxidant properties of Cucurbita moschata fruits

Boudjeka Guemkam Vanessa et al. Food Sci Nutr. .

Abstract

The nutritional and functional properties of squashes are influenced by various factors, such as the stage of plant development, soil composition, and type of fertilizer. This study evaluates the impact of various organic fertilizers on Cucurbita moschata D. properties. For this purpose, squashes were fertilized using Ash at 10 kg/25 m2, bovine compost at 62.5 kg/25 m2, and a 1:1 mixture of ash and bovine compost. Negative control (without fertilizers) and positive control (NPK 20-10-10 at 2 kg/25 m2) were included. Post-harvest, the yield, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities were assessed. Ash fertilizer resulted in the highest number of fruits per plant (2.20 ± 0.16). Regarding flavonoids, the bovine compost yielded the highest level (428.67 ± 2.62 mg/100 g of edible portion). The mixture of ash and bovine compost produced fruits with the highest content of total carotenoids, β-carotene, lycopene, and total phenolic compounds (249.7 ± 3.68, 219.80 ± 3.41, 26.07 ± 0.41, and 575.00 ± 9.95 mg/100 g of edible portion, respectively). Moreover, carotenoids extracted from this mixture exhibited the highest inhibition of DPPH and ABTS free radicals (30.87 ± 0.65 and 47.32 ± 1.30%, respectively). This research suggests that the use of a mixture of ash and bovine compost could significantly enhance the yield of squashes and their phytochemical and antioxidant potential.

Keywords: antioxidant properties; fertilization; phytochemical composition; squashes farming; yield.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Total carotenoid, β‐carotene, and lycopene content in pumpkin samples. Means with the same letter in each diagram are not significantly different at the 5% level of probability using the Bonferroni test.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Total carbohydrates content in squash fruits. Means with the same letter in each diagram are not significantly different at the 5% level of probability using the Kruskal–Wallis test.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Total phenolic and flavonoid content in pumpkin samples. Means with the same letter in each diagram are not significantly different at the 5% level of probability using Bonferroni test.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
% inhibition of DPPH free radicals from terpene and phenolic extracts from pumpkin pulps. Means with the same letter in each diagram are not significantly different at the 5% level of probability using Bonferroni test.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Inhibition % of ABTS free radicals from terpene and phenolic extracts from pumpkin pulps. Means with the same letter in each diagram are not significantly different at the 5% level of probability using Bonferroni test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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