A Comparative Study of Proximate Composition and Dpph Radical Scavenging Activity of Cucurbita Species from South-West, Nigeria

A Comparative Study of Proximate Composition and Dpph Radical Scavenging Activity of Cucurbita Species from South-West, Nigeria | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Comparative Study of Proximate Composition and Dpph Radical Scavenging Activity of Cucurbita Species from South-West, Nigeria Adejoke Olusola Baderinwa-Adejumo, Faith Ekpo Udoh This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8882826/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 17 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Cucurbita species, widely cultivated and consumed globally, are underutilized in Nigeria despite their rich nutritional and health-promoting properties. This study investigated the proximate composition and antioxidant activity of various Cucurbita accessions collected from local markets in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria. The fruits were identified, processed, and analyzed for moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate content following AOAC standard protocols. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical scavenging assay on methanolic extracts. Results showed considerable variation among the accessions. Protein content ranged from 9.21% to 14.79%, crude fiber from 22.19% to 32.02%, and carbohydrate content from 20.63% to 44.76%, with moisture content consistently below 10%, enhancing storage potential. The DPPH assay revealed strong antioxidant capacity across all samples, with CUC 15 and CUC 16 showing the highest scavenging activity (81.22% and 81.08%, respectively), while CUC 40 displayed the lowest (72.33%). These findings align with existing literature and confirm that methanol is an effective solvent for extracting antioxidant compounds in Cucurbita. The study underscores the potential of Cucurbita gourds as nutrient-rich, functional foods with substantial antioxidant properties. Promoting their consumption and industrial application could enhance food security, public health, and local economic development in Nigeria. Cucurbita species Proximate analysis Antioxidant activity DPPH assay Nutritional value Functional foods Methanolic extract Nigeria Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction In agricultural, botanical sciences, and nutritional studies, exploring various plant species and their compositions is pivotal to understanding their potential health benefits. Among these species, Cucurbita, commonly known as squashes and pumpkins, offers a rich field of study due to its diverse varieties and widespread cultivation. Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbit) is an important family comprising one of the most genetically diverse groups of food plants. The genus Cucurbita encompasses diverse species renowned for their nutritional value and functional properties, contributing significantly to global diets. Proximate composition, including moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate content, plays a crucial role in understanding their nutritional value. Furthermore, studies show that the incorporation of pumpkin flesh and seeds into probiotic yogurt can significantly enhance its nutritional value. Their edible pulp is consumed worldwide as puree, soup, and baked products. Recent studies highlight the health-promoting potential of pumpkin phytochemicals. The optimal blend of seed and flesh filtrate contributes to a remarkable probiotic profile, with high levels of bifidobacteria and beta-carotene, suggesting that these species are not just nutritionally dense but also versatile in their applications (Nasarani et al. , 2023). The presence of bioactive compounds, including phenolics and carotenoids, enhances the appeal of Cucurbits as functional foods, potentially offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Consequently, a comprehensive investigation into the proximate and anti-oxidant composition of Cucurbita species is warranted, as it elucidates their nutritional profiles and potential health-promoting properties. Antioxidant components are micro-constituents that are present in the diet and can delay or stop lipid oxidation by inhibiting the initiation or propagation of oxidizing chain reactions, and are also involved in scavenging free radicals (Tyug et al., 2010 ). Cucurbits are rich sources of phytochemicals and also act as a rich source of antioxidants. Kulczyński et al. ( 2020 ) assert that antioxidants neutralize free radicals, mitigating oxidative stress linked to aging and chronic diseases. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay is a standard in vitro method to measure radical scavenging capacity. Recent studies highlight the antioxidant capacity of Cucurbita species, suggesting their potential to combat oxidative stress and related diseases. Solvent choice and extraction method markedly influence reported antioxidant values. In general, more polar solvents (methanol, hydroalcoholic) extract phenolics more effectively than ethanol or water. For example, Yadav et al. ( 2024 ) showed that 80% methanol extracts of pumpkin pulp had higher DPPH activity than aqueous extracts. Other solvents such as acetone, ethanol, hexane, and dichloromethane, among others, have proved to be as effective as methanol in DPPH inhibition. For instance, (Ibisanmi and Aribisala 2022 ; Renuka and Praveena, 2023 ; Abdullah et al., 2024 ; Matseke et al., 2024 ) have used different solvents to affirm the antioxidant properties of the parts of various plants. By contrast, some studies found water extracts nearly as active: Ibisanmi and Aribisala (2023) reported that Nigerian M. charantia water extract (69.2% inhibition) slightly exceeded its ethanol extract (67.9%). Overall, methanol (and methanol–water) appears optimal for Cucurbitaceae polyphenols, likely due to better solvation of polar antioxidants (Yadav et al., 2024 ) Despite the depth of nutritional and medicinal knowledge of the Curcubits in other parts of the world, their existence in Nigeria is threatened due to neglect. The populace is not aware of the high nutritional and nutraceutical values of curcubita (Blessing et al. , 2011). Pumpkin is cultivated at a subsistence level in Nigeria because of the lack of awareness of its nutritional (proximate) and nutraceutical (antioxidant) values. It is regarded as a traditional food mainly for low-income earners. This assertion has discouraged high-income earners and urban citizens from making the crop a part of their diet. Curcubita has not benefited from the same level of research attention given to other vegetable crops, especially in Nigeria. This knowledge gap limits their potential utilization in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The study is essential for promoting the consumption and industrial application of Cucurbita species’ gourds from South-west, Nigeria by providing scientific data on their nutritional and antioxidant properties. It may also contribute to food security and public health awareness regarding the benefits of locally available crops. The objective of this study is to examine the proximate composition, nutritional values and phytochemical elements of seeds of Curcubita species collected from South-west, Nigeria. This study will also investigate DPPH radical scavenging in the species collected from Ondo city, South-west, Nigeria to clarify species-specific antioxidant profiles of Cucurbits. The study will also provide insight into the nutritional quality of Cucurbita gourds and support their use as functional foods with potential health benefits, and also aid the food industry in developing value-added products from the pulp of Cucurbita species. The examination of the proximate composition of curcubita gourds will delve into key components such as moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber, providing insights into human and animal dietary implications, and the antioxidant properties of the pulp will foster a deeper appreciation for their role in contemporary and traditional culinary contexts. In addition to the above, this study will delineate the different cucurbita species collected from South-west, Nigeria to their proximate compositions and anti-oxidant properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection of fruits The experimental materials consisted of several Cucurbita fruits collected from local traders in Iyalaje, and Owena Markets in Ondo State. The fruits were identified and grouped into various ascessions with the assistance of a descriptor in the herbarium section of Wesley University, Ondo. Each of the fruits was opened into two halves, and seeds were washed and dried, leaving only the gourds/pulp for proximate analysis and proximate analyses, respectively. The gourd and the pulp of the experimental fruits were washed, covered with a muslin cloth to avoid the infestation of insects and dried at room temperature. Proximate analyses The dried gourds were pounded into powder form and preserved in air-tight containers before taking them to the laboratory for proximate analyses. The proximate analyses of the samples (flour) were carried out in triplicate using the methods described by AOAC ( 2005 ); and Balogun and Fasakin ( 2022 ). The Moisture content was determined by using a moisture extraction oven (Gallenkamp). A clean petri-dish was oven dried and weighed with the use of an electronic weighing balance, and the weight recorded as W1. Five grams of the samples were weighed into three respective petri dishes and recorded as W2. The petri dish containing each of the samples was transferred into the oven and maintained at 80°C and dried to constant weight (Balogun and Fasakin, 2022 ). The dishes with their contents were removed from the oven, cooled in the desiccators for 30 minutes, weighed, and recorded as W3. % Moisture content = \(W2-W3/W2-W1\times100\) Ash Content was determined by following the method of Balogun et al. , (2022). Crucibles wree prepared, oven-dried for 30 minutes and weighed as Weight 1 ( Wi ). One gram of the dried sample was put in a clean dried, pre-weighed crucible with a lid ( W 2 ). The crucibles were transferred into the muffled furnace set at 550°C (with the lid removed). Ashing of the samples was continued until a light grey white ash is obtained. The crucibles are then cooled in the dessicator and weighed ( W 3 ). % Ash content = \(W3-W1/W2-W1\times100\) Crude lipid content was determined by using the method described by AOAC (2025). About 150 mL of anhydrous diethyl ether (petroleum ether) at a boiling point of 40–60°C was placed in a flask. Fifteen filter papers were placed in the oven and cooled in the desiccator for 30 minutes each. The sample was weighed as weight one (W1). One gram (1g) was weighed into the filter papers and recorded as weight two (W2). The filter paper was then tied using wool and transferred into the extraction chamber of the extractor. The ether in the flask was heated until its vapour reached the condenser through the side arm of the extractor. It was then condensed to liquid form and dropped back into the sample and ether soluble substance is dissolved and carried into the solution through the siphon tube into the flask. The extraction process lasted for 6 hours. The improvised thimble was dried and weighed after extraction. The petroleum ether evaporated at the end of the extraction and the oil residue represents the fat content. The samples were then transferred into the oven for 30 minutes, after which they were transferred into the desiccator to cool for another 30 minutes and then weighed as weight 3(W3). % Lipid content = \(W2-W3/W2-W1\times100\) Crude Fibre content of the sample was determined by putting the ether extract residue into a one litre conical flask. Two grams (2g) of the sample was weighed into the flask and labelled as weight one (W1) followed by the addition of 200ml of boiling 1.25% of NaOH was added and the solution was allowed to boil gently for 30 minutes. This was rinsed with hot distilled water. The residue is scrapped back into the flask with a spatula, 200ml of boiling 1.25% of NaOH was added and the solution was allowed to boil gently for 30 minutes. This was rinsed finally with hot distilled water again and rinsed once with 10% of HCl and with industrial methylated spirit. The residue was rinsed finally with petroleum ether (40°C boiling range) and allowed to drain, dried and scrapped into a crucible, oven-dried at 105°C and later cooled n the desiccator and reweighed as W2. The residue was ashed at 550°C for 90 minutes in a muffle furnace cooled and weighed again as W3. Percentage fibre was then calculated as follows: % Fibre = \(W2-W3/W1\times100\) where W1 = weight of Sample W2 = Weight of oven-dried residue W3 = Weight of ashed residue Crude Protein was determined using the Micro Kjeldahl apparatus (AOAC, 1990 and 2019). The value for the crude protein was obtained by multiplying the nitrogen value by a factor of 6.25 while estimation of available carbohydrate was done by difference thus: CHO = 100 - (% ash + % crude protein + % crude lipid fibre) Energy (kcal) = [(%CHO x 4) + (%CP x 4) + (CL x 9)] (Hassan et al. , 2008). All proximate values were reported in %. Evaluation of Free Radical scavenging activity by DPPH assay The DPPH assay followed Brand-Williams et al. (1995) as adapted by Królczyky et al. , (2020). An amount of 100 µL of the extract was collected and 2.0 mL of the solvent, as well as 250 µL of the DPPH reagent, were added. The whole was shaken on a Vortex at ambient temperature and left in darkness for 20 min. Next, the absorbance was measured at a wavelength λ = 517 nm (Meterek SP 830). The extraction reagent + DPPH solution was used as a control sample. The results were given as mg Trolox equivalents (Tx) per 100 g of dry mass. All assays were performed in triplicate and averaged. Statistical Analysis All the statistical analyses were performed, and the data were presented as an average of triplicate readings. Data was analysed using EXCEL (Microsoft 2013) and presented as mean ± standard error of the mean. Two-way ANOVA was performed to determine the effects of the extraction solvent across the species differences were assessed by ANOVA (p < 0.05). RESULTS Proximate composition The nutritional components of the gourds of Cucurbita species collected from Ondo West, Nigeria, was profiled based on the major nutritional components (and reported as percentages) such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, and ash components. The results of the proximate composition of the different varieties of Cucurbita fruits are expressed in Table 1 . From the results, the protein content was highest in CUC 10 (14.79%) and lowest in CUC 8 (9.21%). The Ash content was highest in CUC 14 (28.41%) and lowest in CUC 29 (6.25%). Crude fibre was highest in CUC 39 (32.02%) and lowest in CUC 40 (22.19%). Carbohydrate content was highest in CUC 16 (44.76%) and lowest in CUC 14 (20.63%). The moisture content was highest in CUC 9 (9.38%) and lowest in CUC 30 (8.19%). The result of each of the proximate parameters shows that they are closely related to each other. Table 1 Proximate composition of Cucurbita species from South-west, Nigeria Accession No. Protein Ash Crude Fibre Fat Carbohydrate Moisture Content CUC 1 14.72 19.85 24.33 1.73 30.57 8.76 CUC 2 14.42 20.34 25.18 2.20 29.47 8.40 CUC 3 10.95 30.44 26.99 1.70 20.67 9.24 CUC 5 12.22 8.64 30.99 1.59 37.99 8.46 CUC 6 13.13 15.97 26.05 2.70 35.00 8.05 CUC 7 12.25 23.99 25.34 2.13 27.89 8.04 CUC 8 9.21 7.78 32.01 2.27 39.51 9.23 CUC 9 13.57 18.13 25.83 2.17 31.18 9.38 CUC10 14.79 15.32 24.62 1.53 35.39 8.35 CUC 11 13.13 12.29 24.12 1.73 40.14 8.62 CUC 12 12.65 22.97 24.15 2.10 28.68 9.15 CUC 13 12.82 18.76 25.78 2.03 31.91 8.59 CUC 14 10.53 28.41 30.09 1.60 20.63 8.74 CUC 16 13.90 7.28 23.98 1.80 44.76 8.27 CUC 17 12.93 19.17 27.38 1.47 30.90 8.16 CUC 19 12.22 11.64 27.38 2.33 37.85 8.54 CUC 20 10.11 8.27 31.01 1.73 39.72 9.16 CUC 28 12.71 8.23 28.39 1.80 39.38 8.57 CUC 29 11.01 6.25 30.76 2.15 39.76 8.85 CUC 30 13.40 20.70 27.15 1.85 28.91 8.19 CUC 32 13.69 11.65 25.35 1.37 38.10 9.17 CUC 33 13.83 10.53 26.41 2.27 38.10 8.10 CUC 37 12.41 21.45 26.65 1.60 35.71 9.33 CUC 39 11.75 13.57 32.02 1.50 32.35 8.81 CUC 40 12.18 9.38 22.19 1.86 44.63 9.15 Where CUC = Cucurbita fruit collected; Each value is a mean of three replicates for the experiment Methanolic extracts of Curcubita gourds The bar chart (Fig. 2 ) illustrates the triplicate of methanol extracts from different Cucurbita accessions, labelled as A, B, and C. Each variety was presented in triplicate, allowing for a comparison of the extraction. Across most of the varieties, the antioxidant activity is quite similar between the three measures, as the heights of the bars are closely matched. This suggests that the single extraction represented in A, B, and C provides consistent results for most accessions. However, a few exceptions show slight differences, which may indicate variations in how certain compounds in the extract interact with different tests. The highest antioxidant activity was recorded for CUC 15, where all three variables measured values around 81, making it the top-performing variety. Similarly, CUC 16 and CUC 30 also displayed high antioxidant activities, indicating their potential for strong antioxidant properties. On the other hand, CUC 40 showed the lowest antioxidant activity, with values around 72 across all three variables. This suggests that this variety might have lower levels of antioxidant compounds compared to the others. DPPH Radical scavenging activity of Cucurbita fruits The results of the DPPH scavenging assay of Cucurbita pulp collected from Ondo are expressed in Table 2 . The table shows the mean and standard error results of the methanolic extracts of Cucurbita accessions. The result showed high DPPH radical scavenging activity, with mean values around 72–81%, with CUC 15 showing the highest (81.22%) and CUC 40 being the lowest (72.33%) Table 2 Results of the DPPH Radical scavenging activity of Cucurbita gourd SAMPLE ID Mean ± Standard error CUC 05 79.24 ± 0.003 CUC 20 79.22 ± 0.017 CUC 28 76.22 ± 0.010 CUC 29 77.86 ± 0.007 CUC 37 74.09 ± 0.010 CUC 11 74.16 ± 0.023 CUC 40 72.33 ± 0.007 CUC 06 79.38 ± 0.023 CUC 32 78.41 ± 0.047 CUC 19 75.86 ± 0.327 CUC 17 78.00 ± 0.043 CUC 09 78.50 ± 0.000 CUC 10 79.52 ± 0.430 CUC 30 79.78 ± 0.075 CUC 07 79.50 ± 0.047 CUC 14 76.94 ± 0.030 CUC 15 81.22 ± 0.015 CUC 02 75.45 ± 0.013 CUC 16 81.08 ± 0.030 CUC 01 76.37 ± 0.027 CUC 13 75.76 ± 0.050 CUC 33 77.82 ± 0.027 CUC 08 77.74 ± 0.013 CUC 39 78.56 ± 0.027 CUC 03 77.54 ± 0.023 The data suggests that CUC 15 and CUC 16 are the most promising varieties for antioxidant activity, with consistent and strong results. Meanwhile, varieties like CUC 40 and those with high variability (e.g., CUC 10) may not perform as well or may require more precise testing methods to confirm their results as shown in Fig. 2 below. DISCUSSION The intricate roles of macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—are pivotal in delineating the proximate composition of Curcubita species. Carbohydrates serve as the primary source of energy that saturates the plant tissues, and the gourd of cucurbits, fostering both growth and cellular functions. The study revealed that CUC 16 and CUC 40 have the highest carbohydrate content, suggesting high energy-yielding potential, hence can be recommended for energy-boosting dietary products. Conversely, CUC 3 and CUC 14 have the lowest, which may suit low-carb dietary requirements. The findings are comparable to those of Emebu and Anyika ( 2017 ), who reported 35–42% carbohydrates in dried Cucurbita maxima . Proteins, on the other hand, contribute significantly to the growth and repair of tissues. As highlighted in previous studies, dietary protein quality may vary widely based on source and processing, illuminating the importance of context when evaluating plant proteins. Therefore, the results of this study aligns well with values reported by Adelekan and Abiodun (2018), who documented Cucurbita pepo seed flour protein content in the range of 10.2–15.1%. Similarly, Oluba et al. , (2020) reported protein contents of 11.6–13.8% in Cucurbita maxima , suggesting that CUC 10 is particularly promising for protein-rich dietary applications. Fat content is relatively low across all accessions in this study, indicating that Cucurbita is a low-fat food, suitable for low-fat dietary formulations. CUC 6, with the highest fat content, may have a slightly higher caloric value. Fats, while often viewed with caution, are crucial for numerous physiological processes, including nutrient absorption. A deeper understanding of these macronutrients within Curcubita species is essential for advancing food quality and addressing dietary needs, particularly in the context of innovative food technologies (Batool et al, 2022 ). The relatively low fat component of Cucurbita gourd compared to values reported for Cucurbita pepo seeds, which can range between 20–30% (Ogunbusola et al., 2021 ). However, since these results appear to reflect whole pulp or flour analysis rather than seeds alone, the low fat is consistent with findings from Omolola et al. ( 2019 ), who reported 1.5–3% fat in defatted pumpkin pulp flour. All accessions of the pulp showed high crude fibre content (22.19–32.02%), with CUC 39 and CUC 8 standing out. These values exceed the 14–22% fibre range reported in dried pumpkin pulp and seed meals by Nkosi et al. ( 2020 ). High fibre is beneficial for bowel regulation and metabolic health, indicating that CUC 8 and CUC 39 may serve well in high-fibre diets or functional food formulations. Malgorlzata (2023), and Mokhtar et al., ( 2021 ) asserted that C. pepo , C. moschata , and C. maxima are particularly noted for their high levels of vitamins A and C, carotenoids (notably β-carotene), dietary fiber, and essential minerals, phenolic acids, and flavonoids that can contribute to antioxidant properties. These findings support the utility of Cucurbita in dietary fibre supplementation. The values of the moisture content of Cucurbita pulp are consistent with literature, which reports moisture contents of 7–10% in dried Cucurbita pulp (Adepoju et al ., 2021). Low moisture levels enhance shelf life, suggesting the accessions are suitable for processing and storage as flours or powders. The proximate analysis of these Cucurbita accessions collected from Ondo-West, Nigeria, reveals a rich nutritional profile that varies across genotypes. Such diversity is beneficial in selecting accessions for specific food and industrial purposes. The values of the antioxidant properties of the Cucurbita accessions reveal their robust antioxidant potentials. Different studies corroborate the findings of this study; Kar et al., ( 2023 ) reported aqueous extracts of dried Cucurbita maxima seeds, peels, leaves, and flowers with DPPH scavenging of 48.4%, 55.7%, 83.9%, and 58.3%, respectively. The findings of these authors show a similarly high activity (~ 84% for leaves) in the same range as the top accessions of this study. Similarly, Mala and Kurian ( 2016 ) found that methanol extracts of pumpkin peel and pulp achieved 50% inhibition (IC50) at a concentration of 18 mg mL¹, while at 50 mg mL⁻¹, scavenging activity reached approximately 80% DPPH inhibition at 50mg/mL, paralleling the approximately 80% inhibition seen in the methanolic extracts of this study. Quantitative comparisons are complicated by differing units, but overall the results are consistent: for instance, Gramza-Michałowska and Królczyk ( 2020 ) measured DPPH activity in 14 C. maxima cultivars, finding values up to 245–246 mg Trolox/100g dry matter (indicating strong radical scavenging), and noted that 80% aqueous methanol extracts had the highest activity. Kostecka-Gugała et al. ( 2020 ) reported that the popular C. maxima ‘Hokkaido’ cultivar had the highest antiradical (DPPH) capacity among 18 pumpkin cultivars. These findings underscore the importance of Cucurbita species in both health promotion and food innovation. The results of these literatures qualitatively agree that pumpkin extracts generally exhibit high antioxidant activity, with cultivar-dependent variation. On the solvent used for the extracts, related gourds and melons from the Cucurbitaceae family likewise show significant DPPH-scavenging activity, often in a similar range with the present study. For bottle gourd ( Lagenaria siceraria ) , recent work by Yadav et al., ( 2024 ) in India found that methanol extracts consistently gave the strongest antioxidant activity: the average IC₅₀ (µg/mL) was lowest (best) in methanol extract (28.8 µg/mL) versus butanol (32.6) and ethanol (39.4). The same study also reported a percent DPPH inhibition of approximately 55% for raw bottle gourd and showed methanol extract (ME) > butanol Extract (BE) > ethanol extract (EE) in scavenging power. A recent study by Renuka and Praveena ( 2023 ) on leaf extracts of ridge gourd ( Luffa acutangula ) found DPPH scavenging rising from 27% at 20 µg/mL to 67% at 100 µg/mL. These results, obtained with ethanolic extracts, again demonstrate potent activity at moderate concentrations. In summary, the methanol-extract results from this study (mean approximately 75–81%) show antioxidant activities that are comparable to or slightly higher than many published pumpkin studies, highlighting that the tested accessions are among the more active varieties Declarations Ethical Approval All experimental procedures were based on plant samples and did not involve any animal or human participants, hence no ethical approval was required. Consent to Participate Not Applicable as the study did not involve any human participant. Consent to Publish We grant the publisher the right to publish, reproduce, distribute, and make the article available in print and electronic formats if the manuscript is accepted for publication. We also confirm that all necessary permissions have been obtained for any copyrighted material included in the manuscript. Data Availability The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Authors’ Contributions Baderinwa-Adejumo, A.O conceived and designed the study. Udoh, F.E performed the experiments’ data analysis, and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. References Abdullah, A.T.M., Rahman, M.M., Sharif, M., Khan, T.A., and Islam, S.N. 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G-Tech Journal of Applied Technolog , 7(3), 1051 - 1060 Nkosi, S., Moyo, B., and Ndlovu, P. (2020). Nutritional composition and functional properties of Cucurbita maxima seed flour. South African Journal of Botany , 133, 283–288. Ogunbusola, E. M., Ajayi, O. B., and Adetuyi, F. O. (2021). Comparative evaluation of seed oils from different Cucurbita species. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management , 25(4), 565–570. Adepoju, A., Ogunsola, R., and Adesina, B. (2021). Proximate and mineral composition of pumpkin ( Cucurbita maxima ) flour and its potential in food fortification. Journal of Food Biochemistry , 45(4), e13635. Omolola, A. O., Jideani, A. I. O., and Kapila, P. F. (2019). Proximate composition and functional properties of defatted pumpkin flour for food applications. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation , 43(8), e14024. Renuka, and Praveena, G. (2023). Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity of Luffa acutangula peel extract. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 15 (6), 382–389. Stryjecka, Malgorzata (2023). Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of Peels of five Pumpkin ( Cucurbita sp. ) Species. Foods 14 (12) : 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122023 Tyug, T.S.; Johar, M.H.; Ismail, A. Antioxidant properties of fresh, powder, and fiber products of mango (Mangifera foetida) fruit. International Journal of Food Properties 2010, 13, 682–691 Yadav, R., Yadav, B.S. and Yadav, R. Influence of various cooking treatments and extraction solvents on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacities of bottle gourd ( Lagenaria siceraria ) fruit in India. Food Prod Process and Nutr 6 , 19 (2024). Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8882826","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":607525925,"identity":"facfc17d-7ca5-4341-abc9-72e9c3d3a9f6","order_by":0,"name":"Adejoke Olusola Baderinwa-Adejumo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Adeyemi Federal University of Education","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Adejoke","middleName":"Olusola","lastName":"Baderinwa-Adejumo","suffix":""},{"id":607525926,"identity":"c0d9466b-7e51-4ab8-b5ad-1539be742b64","order_by":1,"name":"Faith Ekpo Udoh","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Wesley University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Faith","middleName":"Ekpo","lastName":"Udoh","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-14 23:08:11","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8882826/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8882826/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105011871,"identity":"8bf2ee40-5b0b-4411-b916-2f5d575dc415","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-19 21:00:32","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":28334,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eChart showing the Proximate composition of collected Cucurbits from South-west, Nigeria\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8882826/v1/6d630b12259f79cdf11611db.png"},{"id":105011872,"identity":"20113e2d-d108-434b-8301-d294cab21f18","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-19 21:00:32","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":40792,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eGraphical Representation of Antioxidant properties of Cucurbita gourd\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8882826/v1/781bd1457166660362194b13.png"},{"id":105035856,"identity":"4a0babb1-f6c7-4ec7-a71f-e30524c1a61b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-20 07:26:46","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":874608,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8882826/v1/1ce9f23d-d355-4785-affe-cc4f7c5d4efb.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eA Comparative Study of Proximate Composition and Dpph Radical Scavenging Activity of Cucurbita Species from South-West, Nigeria\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003e1.1 Introduction\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn agricultural, botanical sciences, and nutritional studies, exploring various plant species and their compositions is pivotal to understanding their potential health benefits. Among these species, Cucurbita, commonly known as squashes and pumpkins, offers a rich field of study due to its diverse varieties and widespread cultivation. Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbit) is an important family comprising one of the most genetically diverse groups of food plants. The genus Cucurbita encompasses diverse species renowned for their nutritional value and functional properties, contributing significantly to global diets. Proximate composition, including moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate content, plays a crucial role in understanding their nutritional value.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, studies show that the incorporation of pumpkin flesh and seeds into probiotic yogurt can significantly enhance its nutritional value. Their edible pulp is consumed worldwide as puree, soup, and baked products. Recent studies highlight the health-promoting potential of pumpkin phytochemicals. The optimal blend of seed and flesh filtrate contributes to a remarkable probiotic profile, with high levels of bifidobacteria and beta-carotene, suggesting that these species are not just nutritionally dense but also versatile in their applications (Nasarani \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2023). The presence of bioactive compounds, including phenolics and carotenoids, enhances the appeal of Cucurbits as functional foods, potentially offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Consequently, a comprehensive investigation into the proximate and anti-oxidant composition of Cucurbita species is warranted, as it elucidates their nutritional profiles and potential health-promoting properties.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAntioxidant components are micro-constituents that are present in the diet and can delay or stop lipid oxidation by inhibiting the initiation or propagation of oxidizing chain reactions, and are also involved in scavenging free radicals (Tyug et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Cucurbits are rich sources of phytochemicals and also act as a rich source of antioxidants. Kulczyński et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) assert that antioxidants neutralize free radicals, mitigating oxidative stress linked to aging and chronic diseases. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay is a standard in vitro method to measure radical scavenging capacity. Recent studies highlight the antioxidant capacity of Cucurbita species, suggesting their potential to combat oxidative stress and related diseases.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSolvent choice and extraction method markedly influence reported antioxidant values. In general, more polar solvents (methanol, hydroalcoholic) extract phenolics more effectively than ethanol or water. For example, Yadav et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) showed that 80% methanol extracts of pumpkin pulp had higher DPPH activity than aqueous extracts. Other solvents such as acetone, ethanol, hexane, and dichloromethane, among others, have proved to be as effective as methanol in DPPH inhibition. For instance, (Ibisanmi and Aribisala \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Renuka and Praveena, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Abdullah et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Matseke et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) have used different solvents to affirm the antioxidant properties of the parts of various plants. By contrast, some studies found water extracts nearly as active: Ibisanmi and Aribisala (2023) reported that Nigerian \u003cem\u003eM. charantia\u003c/em\u003e water extract (69.2% inhibition) slightly exceeded its ethanol extract (67.9%). Overall, methanol (and methanol\u0026ndash;water) appears optimal for Cucurbitaceae polyphenols, likely due to better solvation of polar antioxidants (Yadav et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite the depth of nutritional and medicinal knowledge of the \u003cem\u003eCurcubits\u003c/em\u003e in other parts of the world, their existence in Nigeria is threatened due to neglect. The populace is not aware of the high nutritional and nutraceutical values of \u003cem\u003ecurcubita\u003c/em\u003e (Blessing \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2011). Pumpkin is cultivated at a subsistence level in Nigeria because of the lack of awareness of its nutritional (proximate) and nutraceutical (antioxidant) values. It is regarded as a traditional food mainly for low-income earners. This assertion has discouraged high-income earners and urban citizens from making the crop a part of their diet. \u003cem\u003eCurcubita\u003c/em\u003e has not benefited from the same level of research attention given to other vegetable crops, especially in Nigeria. This knowledge gap limits their potential utilization in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The study is essential for promoting the consumption and industrial application of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e species\u0026rsquo; gourds from South-west, Nigeria by providing scientific data on their nutritional and antioxidant properties. It may also contribute to food security and public health awareness regarding the benefits of locally available crops.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe objective of this study is to examine the proximate composition, nutritional values and phytochemical elements of seeds of \u003cem\u003eCurcubita\u003c/em\u003e species collected from South-west, Nigeria. This study will also investigate DPPH radical scavenging in the species collected from Ondo city, South-west, Nigeria to clarify species-specific antioxidant profiles of Cucurbits. The study will also provide insight into the nutritional quality of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e gourds and support their use as functional foods with potential health benefits, and also aid the food industry in developing value-added products from the pulp of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e species. The examination of the proximate composition of \u003cem\u003ecurcubita\u003c/em\u003e gourds will delve into key components such as moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber, providing insights into human and animal dietary implications, and the antioxidant properties of the pulp will foster a deeper appreciation for their role in contemporary and traditional culinary contexts. In addition to the above, this study will delineate the different \u003cem\u003ecucurbita\u003c/em\u003e species collected from South-west, Nigeria to their proximate compositions and anti-oxidant properties.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"MATERIALS AND METHODS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCollection of fruits\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe experimental materials consisted of several \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e fruits collected from local traders in Iyalaje, and Owena Markets in Ondo State. The fruits were identified and grouped into various ascessions with the assistance of a descriptor in the herbarium section of Wesley University, Ondo. Each of the fruits was opened into two halves, and seeds were washed and dried, leaving only the gourds/pulp for proximate analysis and proximate analyses, respectively. The gourd and the pulp of the experimental fruits were washed, covered with a muslin cloth to avoid the infestation of insects and dried at room temperature.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProximate analyses\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dried gourds were pounded into powder form and preserved in air-tight containers before taking them to the laboratory for proximate analyses. The proximate analyses of the samples (flour) were carried out in triplicate using the methods described by AOAC (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e); and Balogun and Fasakin (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe \u003cb\u003eMoisture content\u003c/b\u003e was determined by using a moisture extraction oven (Gallenkamp). A clean petri-dish was oven dried and weighed with the use of an electronic weighing balance, and the weight recorded as W1. Five grams of the samples were weighed into three respective petri dishes and recorded as W2. The petri dish containing each of the samples was transferred into the oven and maintained at 80\u0026deg;C and dried to constant weight (Balogun and Fasakin, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). The dishes with their contents were removed from the oven, cooled in the desiccators for 30 minutes, weighed, and recorded as W3.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e% Moisture content\u003c/em\u003e = \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(W2-W3/W2-W1\\times100\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eAsh Content\u003c/b\u003e was determined by following the method of Balogun \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, (2022). Crucibles wree prepared, oven-dried for 30 minutes and weighed as Weight 1 (\u003cem\u003eWi\u003c/em\u003e). One gram of the dried sample was put in a clean dried, pre-weighed crucible with a lid (\u003cem\u003eW\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003e2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e). The crucibles were transferred into the muffled furnace set at 550\u0026deg;C (with the lid removed). Ashing of the samples was continued until a light grey white ash is obtained. The crucibles are then cooled in the dessicator and weighed (\u003cem\u003eW\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003e3\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e% Ash content\u003c/em\u003e = \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(W3-W1/W2-W1\\times100\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eCrude lipid\u003c/b\u003e content was determined by using the method described by AOAC (2025). About 150 mL of anhydrous diethyl ether (petroleum ether) at a boiling point of 40\u0026ndash;60\u0026deg;C was placed in a flask. Fifteen filter papers were placed in the oven and cooled in the desiccator for 30 minutes each. The sample was weighed as weight one (W1). One gram (1g) was weighed into the filter papers and recorded as weight two (W2). The filter paper was then tied using wool and transferred into the extraction chamber of the extractor. The ether in the flask was heated until its vapour reached the condenser through the side arm of the extractor. It was then condensed to liquid form and dropped back into the sample and ether soluble substance is dissolved and carried into the solution through the siphon tube into the flask. The extraction process lasted for 6 hours. The improvised thimble was dried and weighed after extraction. The petroleum ether evaporated at the end of the extraction and the oil residue represents the fat content. The samples were then transferred into the oven for 30 minutes, after which they were transferred into the desiccator to cool for another 30 minutes and then weighed as weight 3(W3).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e% Lipid content\u003c/em\u003e = \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(W2-W3/W2-W1\\times100\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eCrude Fibre\u003c/b\u003e content of the sample was determined by putting the ether extract residue into a one litre conical flask. Two grams (2g) of the sample was weighed into the flask and labelled as weight one (W1) followed by the addition of 200ml of boiling 1.25% of NaOH was added and the solution was allowed to boil gently for 30 minutes. This was rinsed with hot distilled water. The residue is scrapped back into the flask with a spatula, 200ml of boiling 1.25% of NaOH was added and the solution was allowed to boil gently for 30 minutes. This was rinsed finally with hot distilled water again and rinsed once with 10% of HCl and with industrial methylated spirit. The residue was rinsed finally with petroleum ether (40\u0026deg;C boiling range) and allowed to drain, dried and scrapped into a crucible, oven-dried at 105\u0026deg;C and later cooled n the desiccator and reweighed as W2. The residue was ashed at 550\u0026deg;C for 90 minutes in a muffle furnace cooled and weighed again as W3. Percentage fibre was then calculated as follows:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e% Fibre\u003c/em\u003e = \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(W2-W3/W1\\times100\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e where W1 = weight of Sample\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eW2\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Weight of oven-dried residue\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eW3\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Weight of ashed residue\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCrude Protein was determined using the Micro Kjeldahl apparatus (AOAC, 1990 and 2019). The value for the crude protein was obtained by multiplying the nitrogen value by a factor of 6.25 while estimation of available carbohydrate was done by difference thus: CHO\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;100 - (% ash + % crude protein + % crude lipid fibre) Energy (kcal) = [(%CHO x 4) + (%CP x 4) + (CL x 9)] (Hassan \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2008). All proximate values were reported in %.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEvaluation of Free Radical scavenging activity by DPPH assay\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe DPPH assay followed Brand-Williams \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e (1995) as adapted by Kr\u0026oacute;lczyky \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, (2020). An amount of 100 \u0026micro;L of the extract was collected and 2.0 mL of the solvent, as well as 250 \u0026micro;L of the DPPH reagent, were added. The whole was shaken on a Vortex at ambient temperature and left in darkness for 20 min. Next, the absorbance was measured at a wavelength λ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;517 nm (Meterek SP 830). The extraction reagent\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;DPPH solution was used as a control sample. The results were given as mg Trolox equivalents (Tx) per 100 g of dry mass. All assays were performed in triplicate and averaged.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll the statistical analyses were performed, and the data were presented as an average of triplicate readings. Data was analysed using EXCEL (Microsoft 2013) and presented as mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard error of the mean. Two-way ANOVA was performed to determine the effects of the extraction solvent across the species differences were assessed by ANOVA (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eProximate composition\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe nutritional components of the gourds of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e species collected from Ondo West, Nigeria, was profiled based on the major nutritional components (and reported as percentages) such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, and ash components. The results of the proximate composition of the different varieties of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e fruits are expressed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. From the results, the protein content was highest in CUC 10 (14.79%) and lowest in CUC 8 (9.21%). The Ash content was highest in CUC 14 (28.41%) and lowest in CUC 29 (6.25%). Crude fibre was highest in CUC 39 (32.02%) and lowest in CUC 40 (22.19%). Carbohydrate content was highest in CUC 16 (44.76%) and lowest in CUC 14 (20.63%). The moisture content was highest in CUC 9 (9.38%) and lowest in CUC 30 (8.19%). The result of each of the proximate parameters shows that they are closely related to each other.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProximate composition of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e species from South-west, Nigeria\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccession No.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProtein\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCrude Fibre\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFat\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCarbohydrate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMoisture\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eContent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 1\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 5\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 6\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 7\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 8\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.78\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 9\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC10\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 11\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 12\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 13\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.78\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 14\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 16\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 17\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 19\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 20\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 28\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 29\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 30\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 32\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 33\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 37\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 39\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCUC 40\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhere CUC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Cucurbita fruit collected;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEach value is a mean of three replicates for the experiment\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMethanolic extracts of Curcubita gourds\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bar chart (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) illustrates the triplicate of methanol extracts from different Cucurbita accessions, labelled as A, B, and C. Each variety was presented in triplicate, allowing for a comparison of the extraction.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcross most of the varieties, the antioxidant activity is quite similar between the three measures, as the heights of the bars are closely matched. This suggests that the single extraction represented in A, B, and C provides consistent results for most accessions. However, a few exceptions show slight differences, which may indicate variations in how certain compounds in the extract interact with different tests.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe highest antioxidant activity was recorded for CUC 15, where all three variables measured values around 81, making it the top-performing variety. Similarly, CUC 16 and CUC 30 also displayed high antioxidant activities, indicating their potential for strong antioxidant properties. On the other hand, CUC 40 showed the lowest antioxidant activity, with values around 72 across all three variables. This suggests that this variety might have lower levels of antioxidant compounds compared to the others.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDPPH Radical scavenging activity of Cucurbita fruits\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of the DPPH scavenging assay of Cucurbita pulp collected from Ondo are expressed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. The table shows the mean and standard error results of the methanolic extracts of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e accessions. The result showed high DPPH radical scavenging activity, with mean values around 72\u0026ndash;81%, with CUC 15 showing the highest (81.22%) and CUC 40 being the lowest (72.33%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResults of the DPPH Radical scavenging activity of Cucurbita gourd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSAMPLE ID\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;Standard error\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.017\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77.86\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74.16\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78.41\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.047\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75.86\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.327\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.043\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.52\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.430\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.78\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.075\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.047\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.030\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.015\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81.08\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.030\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76.37\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.027\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75.76\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.050\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77.82\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.027\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78.56\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.027\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCUC 03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77.54\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe data suggests that CUC 15 and CUC 16 are the most promising varieties for antioxidant activity, with consistent and strong results. Meanwhile, varieties like CUC 40 and those with high variability (e.g., CUC 10) may not perform as well or may require more precise testing methods to confirm their results as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e below.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe intricate roles of macronutrients\u0026mdash;carbohydrates, proteins, and fats\u0026mdash;are pivotal in delineating the proximate composition of \u003cem\u003eCurcubita\u003c/em\u003e species. Carbohydrates serve as the primary source of energy that saturates the plant tissues, and the gourd of cucurbits, fostering both growth and cellular functions. The study revealed that CUC 16 and CUC 40 have the highest carbohydrate content, suggesting high energy-yielding potential, hence can be recommended for energy-boosting dietary products. Conversely, CUC 3 and CUC 14 have the lowest, which may suit low-carb dietary requirements. The findings are comparable to those of Emebu and Anyika (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), who reported 35\u0026ndash;42% carbohydrates in dried \u003cem\u003eCucurbita maxima\u003c/em\u003e. Proteins, on the other hand, contribute significantly to the growth and repair of tissues. As highlighted in previous studies, dietary protein quality may vary widely based on source and processing, illuminating the importance of context when evaluating plant proteins. Therefore, the results of this study aligns well with values reported by Adelekan and Abiodun (2018), who documented \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed flour protein content in the range of 10.2\u0026ndash;15.1%. Similarly, Oluba \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, (2020) reported protein contents of 11.6\u0026ndash;13.8% in \u003cem\u003eCucurbita maxima\u003c/em\u003e, suggesting that CUC 10 is particularly promising for protein-rich dietary applications.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFat content is relatively low across all accessions in this study, indicating that \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e is a low-fat food, suitable for low-fat dietary formulations. CUC 6, with the highest fat content, may have a slightly higher caloric value. Fats, while often viewed with caution, are crucial for numerous physiological processes, including nutrient absorption. A deeper understanding of these macronutrients within \u003cem\u003eCurcubita\u003c/em\u003e species is essential for advancing food quality and addressing dietary needs, particularly in the context of innovative food technologies (Batool et al, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). The relatively low fat component of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e gourd compared to values reported for \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds, which can range between 20\u0026ndash;30% (Ogunbusola et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). However, since these results appear to reflect whole pulp or flour analysis rather than seeds alone, the low fat is consistent with findings from Omolola et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), who reported 1.5\u0026ndash;3% fat in defatted pumpkin pulp flour. All accessions of the pulp showed high crude fibre content (22.19\u0026ndash;32.02%), with CUC 39 and CUC 8 standing out. These values exceed the 14\u0026ndash;22% fibre range reported in dried pumpkin pulp and seed meals by Nkosi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). High fibre is beneficial for bowel regulation and metabolic health, indicating that CUC 8 and CUC 39 may serve well in high-fibre diets or functional food formulations. Malgorlzata (2023), and Mokhtar et al., (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) asserted that \u003cem\u003eC. pepo\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eC. moschata\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eC. maxima\u003c/em\u003e are particularly noted for their high levels of vitamins A and C, carotenoids (notably β-carotene), dietary fiber, and essential minerals, phenolic acids, and flavonoids that can contribute to antioxidant properties.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese findings support the utility of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e in dietary fibre supplementation. The values of the moisture content of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e pulp are consistent with literature, which reports moisture contents of 7\u0026ndash;10% in dried \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e pulp (Adepoju \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2021). Low moisture levels enhance shelf life, suggesting the accessions are suitable for processing and storage as flours or powders.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe proximate analysis of these \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e accessions collected from Ondo-West, Nigeria, reveals a rich nutritional profile that varies across genotypes. Such diversity is beneficial in selecting accessions for specific food and industrial purposes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe values of the antioxidant properties of the \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e accessions reveal their robust antioxidant potentials. Different studies corroborate the findings of this study; Kar et al., (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) reported aqueous extracts of dried \u003cem\u003eCucurbita maxima\u003c/em\u003e seeds, peels, leaves, and flowers with DPPH scavenging of 48.4%, 55.7%, 83.9%, and 58.3%, respectively. The findings of these authors show a similarly high activity (~\u0026thinsp;84% for leaves) in the same range as the top accessions of this study. Similarly, Mala and Kurian (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) found that methanol extracts of pumpkin peel and pulp achieved 50% inhibition (IC50) at a concentration of 18 mg mL\u0026sup1;, while at 50 mg mL⁻\u0026sup1;, scavenging activity reached approximately 80% DPPH inhibition at 50mg/mL, paralleling the approximately 80% inhibition seen in the methanolic extracts of this study. Quantitative comparisons are complicated by differing units, but overall the results are consistent: for instance, Gramza-Michałowska and Kr\u0026oacute;lczyk (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) measured DPPH activity in 14 \u003cem\u003eC. maxima\u003c/em\u003e cultivars, finding values up to 245\u0026ndash;246 mg Trolox/100g dry matter (indicating strong radical scavenging), and noted that 80% aqueous methanol extracts had the highest activity. Kostecka-Gugała et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) reported that the popular \u003cem\u003eC. maxima\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lsquo;Hokkaido\u0026rsquo; cultivar had the highest antiradical (DPPH) capacity among 18 pumpkin cultivars. These findings underscore the importance of Cucurbita species in both health promotion and food innovation. The results of these literatures qualitatively agree that pumpkin extracts generally exhibit high antioxidant activity, with cultivar-dependent variation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the solvent used for the extracts, related gourds and melons from the Cucurbitaceae family likewise show significant DPPH-scavenging activity, often in a similar range with the present study. For bottle gourd \u003cb\u003e(\u003c/b\u003e\u003cem\u003eLagenaria siceraria\u003c/em\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e, recent work by Yadav et al., (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) in India found that methanol extracts consistently gave the strongest antioxidant activity: the average IC₅₀ (\u0026micro;g/mL) was lowest (best) in methanol extract (28.8 \u0026micro;g/mL) versus butanol (32.6) and ethanol (39.4). The same study also reported a percent DPPH inhibition of approximately 55% for raw bottle gourd and showed methanol extract (ME) \u0026gt; butanol Extract (BE) \u0026gt; ethanol extract (EE) in scavenging power. A recent study by Renuka and Praveena (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) on leaf extracts of ridge gourd \u003cb\u003e(\u003c/b\u003e\u003cem\u003eLuffa acutangula\u003c/em\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e found DPPH scavenging rising from 27% at 20 \u0026micro;g/mL to 67% at 100 \u0026micro;g/mL. These results, obtained with ethanolic extracts, again demonstrate potent activity at moderate concentrations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn summary, the methanol-extract results from this study (mean approximately 75\u0026ndash;81%) show antioxidant activities that are comparable to or slightly higher than many published pumpkin studies, highlighting that the tested accessions are among the more active varieties\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll experimental procedures were based on plant samples and did not involve any\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eanimal or human participants, hence no ethical approval was required.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot Applicable as the study did not involve any human participant.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Publish\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe grant the publisher the right to publish, reproduce, distribute, and make the article available in print and electronic formats if the manuscript is accepted for publication. We also confirm that all necessary permissions have been obtained for any copyrighted material included in the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecorresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interests\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecommercial, or not-for-profit sectors.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors’ Contributions\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBaderinwa-Adejumo, A.O conceived and designed the study. Udoh, F.E performed the experiments’ data analysis, and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbdullah, A.T.M., Rahman, M.M., Sharif, M., Khan, T.A., and Islam, S.N. (2024): Bioactive polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant potentials of two leafy vegetables in Bangladesh: the \u003cem\u003eMomordica charantia\u003c/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eIpomoea aquatica\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eFood Prod Process and Nutr\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e6\u003c/strong\u003e, 35 (2024). \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdelakun, O.E., and Abiodun, O.A. (2018): Proximate composition and functional properties of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo \u003c/em\u003eseed flour. Unpublished manuscript.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAOAC (2005): Official methods of Analysis (18\u003csup\u003eth\u003c/sup\u003e ed.). 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Probiotic yoghurt from pumpkin seed and pulp filtrate within different fermentation times. \u003cem\u003eG-Tech Journal of Applied Technolog\u003c/em\u003e, 7(3), 1051 - 1060\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNkosi, S., Moyo, B., and Ndlovu, P. (2020). Nutritional composition and functional properties of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita maxima\u003c/em\u003e seed flour. \u003cem\u003eSouth African Journal of Botany\u003c/em\u003e, 133, 283\u0026ndash;288.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOgunbusola, E. M., Ajayi, O. B., and Adetuyi, F. O. (2021). Comparative evaluation of seed oils from different \u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c/em\u003e species. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management\u003c/em\u003e, 25(4), 565\u0026ndash;570. Adepoju, A., Ogunsola, R., and Adesina, B. (2021). 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Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of Peels of five Pumpkin (\u003cem\u003eCucurbita sp.\u003c/em\u003e) Species. \u003cem\u003eFoods 14 (12)\u003c/em\u003e: 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122023\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTyug, T.S.; Johar, M.H.; Ismail, A. Antioxidant properties of fresh, powder, and fiber products of mango (Mangifera foetida) fruit. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Food Properties 2010, 13, 682\u0026ndash;691\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYadav, R., Yadav, B.S. and Yadav, R. Influence of various cooking treatments and extraction solvents on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacities of bottle gourd (\u003cem\u003eLagenaria siceraria\u003c/em\u003e) fruit in India. \u003cem\u003eFood Prod Process and Nutr\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e6\u003c/strong\u003e, 19 (2024).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-food","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"discoverfood","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Food](https://www.springer.com/44187)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Food","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cucurbita species, Proximate analysis, Antioxidant activity, DPPH assay, Nutritional value, Functional foods, Methanolic extract, Nigeria","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8882826/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8882826/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eCucurbita species, widely cultivated and consumed globally, are underutilized in Nigeria despite their rich nutritional and health-promoting properties. This study investigated the proximate composition and antioxidant activity of various Cucurbita accessions collected from local markets in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria. The fruits were identified, processed, and analyzed for moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate content following AOAC standard protocols. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical scavenging assay on methanolic extracts. Results showed considerable variation among the accessions. Protein content ranged from 9.21% to 14.79%, crude fiber from 22.19% to 32.02%, and carbohydrate content from 20.63% to 44.76%, with moisture content consistently below 10%, enhancing storage potential. The DPPH assay revealed strong antioxidant capacity across all samples, with CUC 15 and CUC 16 showing the highest scavenging activity (81.22% and 81.08%, respectively), while CUC 40 displayed the lowest (72.33%). These findings align with existing literature and confirm that methanol is an effective solvent for extracting antioxidant compounds in Cucurbita. The study underscores the potential of Cucurbita gourds as nutrient-rich, functional foods with substantial antioxidant properties. Promoting their consumption and industrial application could enhance food security, public health, and local economic development in Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Comparative Study of Proximate Composition and Dpph Radical Scavenging Activity of Cucurbita Species from South-West, Nigeria","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-19 21:00:24","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8882826/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-18T11:01:04+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"147644613250756083890479938702151844759","date":"2026-05-15T08:35:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"73968421618521008523123750721481097153","date":"2026-05-14T14:10:27+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"6907157031764048057994934927617735605","date":"2026-05-13T14:22:04+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"169615520163032812608859576258613532656","date":"2026-05-13T13:56:01+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-29T11:31:28+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"68520067158019628823071332347730539303","date":"2026-04-17T22:36:15+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"143875459052818991392089359673248255248","date":"2026-04-16T01:14:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-03-24T12:59:56+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"266292599674524541000954209237462919504","date":"2026-03-23T09:58:54+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"273272096529880301814302473502227350171","date":"2026-03-17T10:34:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"269690407039455523495887218014113780082","date":"2026-03-17T10:30:53+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-17T10:02:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-16T06:02:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-14T05:33:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-13T20:12:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Food","date":"2026-03-13T09:59:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-food","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"discoverfood","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Food](https://www.springer.com/44187)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Food","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a818701e-de43-44c1-abf6-eada92505b07","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 19th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-18T11:01:04+00:00","index":99,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"147644613250756083890479938702151844759","date":"2026-05-15T08:35:20+00:00","index":97,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"73968421618521008523123750721481097153","date":"2026-05-14T14:10:27+00:00","index":96,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"6907157031764048057994934927617735605","date":"2026-05-13T14:22:04+00:00","index":95,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"169615520163032812608859576258613532656","date":"2026-05-13T13:56:01+00:00","index":94,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-19T21:00:24+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-19 21:00:24","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8882826","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8882826","identity":"rs-8882826","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}