Antioxidant activity of hot-air-dried sweet pumpkin’s flesh and peel and their effects on the shelf-life and quality of pork emulsion-type model sausages during storage

Objective: This study evaluated the antioxidant activities of sweet pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) flesh powder (FP) and peel powder (PP) and their effects on physicochemical and quality traits of emulsiontype model sausages during refrigerated storage. Methods:The antioxidant activity of FP and PP, which were dried by oven, was evaluated, and a total of 4 sausage groups including control, reference (ascorbic acid, AA) and 2 treatments (FP and PP) were manufactured, and physicochemical and textural properties were measured during refrigerated storage.pH, color, cooking loss, expressible moisture, texture properties, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), and microbial counts were conducted. Results:The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity was higher in FP than PP at all concentrations except 1.0% (p<0.05), with 0.25% FP comparable to REF (p>0.05).Reducing power was higher in FP at 1.0% than in PP at the same concentration (p<0.05).Both the FP-and PPtreated emulsion-type model sausages showed reduced L * values; however, a * was higher in the FPtreated sausages, but lower in PP-treated sausages.Expressible moisture and TBARS values were also lower in treated sausages than the control (p<0.05). Conclusion:Sweet pumpkin both FP and PP were effective natural antioxidants with improved water holding capacity of sausages during storage