CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MEAL AND PROTEIC ISOLATE OF PUMPKIN (CUCURBITA-MOSCHATA) SEED

The present study was carried out in order to ckeck through chemical a nd biological analyses the nutritional characteristics of pumpkin seed , its delipidized meal and its proteic concentrate, considering its av aibility, nutritional potential, facility for production in poor soils and the need for new food resources. Another objetive was to compleme nt the aminoacid pattern of pumpkin with others protein sources for hu man consumption. The results obtained indicate that: Raw pumpkin seed meal has a proteic values of 37,6% and the delipidized meal 68,8%; The PER values for raw seed meal and delipidized meal were 2,26 and 1,65, respectively; The chemical composition revealed that the delipized pu mkin seed meal was limitant in treonine (66,8%); The isolate and seed meal proteins were both complemented with lysine and with cowpea bean meal; Whole pumpkin seed meal obtained from variety Caravelle is a goo d caloric material (approximately 568 cal/100 g).