Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties

Muzahin Al Bergus; Ömer Faruk Çelik

doi:10.28979/jarnas.1866093

Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties

Abstract

Pumpkin peel is a fiber-rich agro-industrial by-product that is largely discarded despite its nutritional potential. This study evaluated the feasibility of incorporating pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) peel paste as a functional ingredient in biscuit production and its effects on nutritional composition, physical properties, sensory quality, and bioactivity. Biscuits were formulated by partially replacing wheat flour with pumpkin peel paste at levels of 10%, 20%, and 30%, and compared with a control formulation. Pumpkin peel incorporation significantly increased total dietary fiber content from 3.07 g/100 g in the control to 9.19 g/100 g at 30% substitution, while protein content decreased from 5.05% to 4.36% due to flour dilution (p<0.05). Instrumental texture analysis showed a substantial reduction in hardness, from 4331.6 g in control to 2089.2 g at 30% incorporation, indicating a softer and more brittle structure. Regarding bioactivity, biscuits containing 10% pumpkin peel paste exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, indicating a non-linear, matrix-dependent response to increasing incorporation levels. Pumpkin peel addition also modified color attributes by increasing yellowness, chroma, and browning index. Sensory evaluation revealed improved color–appearance, flavor, crunchiness, and overall acceptability in peel-enriched biscuits, with the highest acceptability index (79.0%) observed for the 30% formulation. Overall, the results demonstrate that pumpkin peel paste can be successfully utilized up to 30% in biscuit formulations to produce fiber-enriched, consumer-acceptable products while supporting the sustainable upcycling of food processing by-products.

Keywords

Thanks

The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Adnan UĞUR for his expert assistance in the identification of the pumpkin species. The authors also thank Büşra Nur İSTANBUL and Dr. Yunus Emre TUNÇİL for their valuable support in the analysis of dietary fiber content.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Food Sustainability, Grain Technology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Muzahin Al Bergus
0009-0008-2142-9531
Türkiye

Ömer Faruk Çelik ^*
0000-0002-6105-4825
Türkiye

Publication Date

March 30, 2026

Submission Date

January 19, 2026

Acceptance Date

March 5, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 12 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.28979/jarnas.1866093

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA87WY36GA

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Al Bergus, M., & Çelik, Ö. F. (2026). Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties. Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences, 12(1), 58-73. https://doi.org/10.28979/jarnas.1866093

AMA

1.Al Bergus M, Çelik ÖF. Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties. JARNAS. 2026;12(1):58-73. doi:10.28979/jarnas.1866093

Chicago

Al Bergus, Muzahin, and Ömer Faruk Çelik. 2026. “Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties”. Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences 12 (1): 58-73. https://doi.org/10.28979/jarnas.1866093.

EndNote

Al Bergus M, Çelik ÖF (March 1, 2026) Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties. Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences 12 1 58–73.

IEEE

[1]M. Al Bergus and Ö. F. Çelik, “Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties”, JARNAS, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 58–73, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.28979/jarnas.1866093.

ISNAD

Al Bergus, Muzahin - Çelik, Ömer Faruk. “Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties”. Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences 12/1 (March 1, 2026): 58-73. https://doi.org/10.28979/jarnas.1866093.

JAMA

1.Al Bergus M, Çelik ÖF. Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties. JARNAS. 2026;12:58–73.

MLA

Al Bergus, Muzahin, and Ömer Faruk Çelik. “Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties”. Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences, vol. 12, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 58-73, doi:10.28979/jarnas.1866093.

Vancouver

1.Muzahin Al Bergus, Ömer Faruk Çelik. Upcycling of Pumpkin Peel for Functional Biscuit Production: Effects on Nutritional, Physical, Sensory, and Bioactive Properties. JARNAS. 2026 Mar. 1;12(1):58-73. doi:10.28979/jarnas.1866093

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