Evaluation of biochemical and phytochemical parameters in germinating and nongerminating seeds of Cucurbita maxima

Generally, plants and their seeds are used as nutritional and medicinal sources. Due to secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and saponins, plants acquire medicinal properties. The current study was aimed to evaluate the proximate composition and phytochemicals in germinating and nongerminating seeds of Cucurbita maxima. Cucurbita maxima is a member of family Cucurbitaceae. Fruits of Cucurbita consumed as vegetables. Specific extraction and estimation methods were used for quantification and the results were statistically analysed with students’ F-test. Germination of Cucurbita maxima seeds occurred within 5 days. Nongerminating seeds contain highest content of reducing sugar (5.43±0.14 mg/gm), nonreducing sugars (360±20 mg/gm), starch (375±70 mg/gm), lipid (512±0.2 mg/gm) and calorific value (642 K. Cal/100gm) than germinating (267.3 K. Cal/100gm) seeds. Whereas superior amounts of proteins (150.3±0.7 mg/gm), DNA (0.663±0.054 mg/gm) and phytochemicals were found in germinating seeds. Due to high content of phytochemicals highest antioxidant potential was found in germinating seeds. From the results obtained in this study Cucurbita maxima (pumpkin) plants seeds play very important role in the fields of medicine and pharmaceutical field.