American Journal of Food Technology1557-45711557-458XAcademic Journals Inc.10.3923/ajft.2009.170.176Cucurbita sp.) Can Contribute to Alleviate Vitamin A Deficiency]]>MawambaA. Demasse GouadoI. LengM. TouridomonI. Some MbiapoF. Tchounanguepo 4200944To promote the consumption of squashes flesh, the vitamin A potential of steamed-dried squashes from Cameroon was evaluated in determining the beta-carotene content through HPLC method in raw, steamed and steamed-dried peeled flesh of three squashes species: Cucurbita moshata cv. Dickinson, Cucurbita maxima cv. Hungarian Blue and Cucurbita pepo cv. Sacred Indian Rattle. The vitamin C and total lipids contents were also titrated with 2, 6 dichlorophenol indophenol dye and extracted with hexane in a soxhlet apparatus for 6 h, respectively. The moisture content was estimated by drying in an oven at 105°C until constant weight. The beta-carotene contents of dried steamed squashes were 2834.75±11.22; 3043.91±1.65 and 5917.83±720.49 μg/100 g serving of C. pepo, C. moshata and C. maxima, respectively. The vitamin C contents ranged from 5.70±0.32 μg/100 g serving (C. moshata) to 11.81±0.19 μg/100 g serving (C. maxima). Total lipids ranged from 6.22±0.00 g/100 g serving (C. pepo) to 7.09±0.11 g/100 g serving (C. moshata) and the water remaining ranged from 6.39±1.18 g/100 g serving (C. maxima) to 8.19±0.70 serving (C. pepo). Drying of steamed squashes seemed to result in a significant concentration of beta-carotene content (71 and 89 times higher than those of steamed squashes). The same effect was observed for the vitamin C content (about 1.7 times) and the total lipid content (6 to 12 times). These results suggest that as a ready to eat product, steamed-dried squashes could contribute to fight against vitamin A deficiency if they are well conserved.]]>Agte, V., K. Tarwadi, S. Mengale A. Hinge and S. Chiplonkar,200253197208Naidu, A.K.,2003277Arima, H.K. and D.B. Rodriguez-Amaya,199040284292Chaturvedi, Y. and R. Nagar,200156127132Demasse-Mawamba A., I. Gouado, M. Leng, R. Ejoh Aba, J.M. Njinkoue and F. Tchouanguep-Mbiapo,2007Musa paradisiacal) chips.]]>6280284Epler, K.S., R.G. Ziegler and N.E. Craft,19936193748Gouado, I., E.R. Aba, I.T. Some, J.S. Florian and M.F. Tchouanguep,20076497501Gouado, I., R.A. Ejoh, M. Kenne, F. Ndifor and T.F. Mbiapo,2005492632Gouado, I., T.F. Mbiapo, F.P. Moundipa and M.C. Teugwa,1998682125Guiraud, J.P.,19981998pp: 1-16pp: 1-16Harris, L.J. and S.N. Ray,19352257177Hussey, G.D. and M. Klein,1990323160464Humphrey, J.H., T. Agoestina, L. Wu, A. Usman and M. Nurachim et al.,1996128489496McCay, C.M.,194535143152Penelope, N. and N. Ritu,2003Niizu, P.Y. and D.B. Rodriguez-Amaya,200518739749Roodenburg, A.J.C., R. Leenen, K.H. Van-Het-Hof, J.A. Weststrate and L.B.M. Tijburg,20007111871193Van den Berg, H., R. Faulks, H.F. Granado, J. Hirschberg and B. Olmedilla et al.,200080880912Van-Het-Hof, K.H., C.E. West, J.A. Weststrate and J.G. Hautvast,2000130503506West, K.P.,20021322857S2866S