Determination of total phenolic, total flavonoid, ascorbic acid contents and antioxidant activity of pumpkin flesh, peel and seeds

ABSTRACT. Pumpkins are increasingly regarded as functional foods since they contain valuable nutrients and bioactive substances that have positive health effects. The number of bioactive components depends on the origins and parts of the pumpkin, which define its antioxidant capacity. This study evaluated the total phenolic, total flavonoid, and ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activities of three parts of pumpkin from four different sample origins and investigated the correlation between them. The content of bioactive components in pumpkin from Dukem, Ethiopia, was highest in the flesh, peel, and seeds compared to the other sample areas. The Pearson correlation result indicated a strong relationship between the total phenolic, flavonoid, and ascorbic acid contents of pumpkin and their respective antioxidant activities. This study found that the total phenolic, total flavonoid, and ascorbic acid contents and antioxidant activity varied across the pumpkin sample sources and pumpkin parts.   KEY WORDS: Pumpkin, Flavonoid, Phenolic, Ascorbic acid, Antioxidant activity, Ethiopia   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(5), 1093-1108.                                                             DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i5.3