Effect of the addition of pumpkin powder on the physicochemical qualities and rheological properties of wheat flour

Recently, the pumpkin seeds and the partially defatted pumpkin seed, a by-product of pumpkin seeds oil processing, become more and more interesting for bakery sector, because of its nutritional composition.Pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.) and its seeds, is a significantly source of omega 3 and omega 6, fiber and amino acids (lysine, alanine, and arginine) having important nutritional propreties.Currently, pumpkin seeds have a niche market based particularly on healthyfood.The influence of partially defatted pumpkin seeds on nutritional value of wheat flour and the rheological characteristics of doughs were studied.The partially defatted pumpkin seeds flour has been used for enrichment of wheat flour with functional ingredients such as: bioactive carbohydrates (crude fiber), protein, fats and minerals.The analysis of the composition of partially defatted pumpkin seeds flour has been done in order to further promote their functionality in bakery products based, especially, on wheat flour.The objective of the present study was to investigate the physicchemical and rheological properties of the samples of wheat flour enriched with different levels of defatted pumpkin seed (5%, 10% and, respectively, 15%).