Giuseppe Procida 1, Bruno Stancher 2, Francesca Cateni 1 and Marina Zacchigna 1 1 Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, P.zle Europa 1, Trieste 2 Department of Industrial Engineering and Information, Via A. Valerio 10, Trieste, Chemical composition and functional characterization of commercial pumpkin seed oil Results On the basis of the data reported in Table, as concerning aldehydes, significative differences are relative especially to compounds C4 (isobutanal, 3-methylbutanal and 2-methylbutanal). Generally, in samples from Slovenia, a major presence of all three aldehydes was observed. On the contrary, in three analyzed italian samples the concentration of the above aldehydes is lower of an order of magnitude: probably, slovenian samples could have been subjected to a more intense roasted process. Such compounds could be used as markers in order to define the roasted conditions followed before the extraction of the seeds oil. The sulfur compounds are surely relevant for a definition of the flavour of the analyzed oils. In this case, it is important to remark the high concentration, particurarly of methanethiol, dimethylsulfide and dimethyldisulfide in samples 5 and 10 of Slovenian production. These substances, obtained via Strecker degradation, affect strongly the sensorial characteristics and could be connected to the roasted conditions employed: indeed sample 5 possesses a higher content in sulfur and aldehydic C4 compounds. The comparison of the data relative to the identified furans confirms the observations concerning the aldehydic and sulfur compounds: in particular, in samples 5 and 10 a major concentration of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one (3.44 and 3.72  g kg-1) and furfural (0.25 and 0.64  g kg -1) was reported. The content of such compounds, derived from the degradation of carbohydrates, is directly connected to the intensity of the roasting process conditions, as already reported in literature (1). Also as concerning the pyrazine content, a higher content in samples 5 and 10 was reported: in particular, in sample 10 a concentration of 2-methylpyrazine (5.51  g kg-1) and 2,5- dimethylpyrazine (6.82  g kg-1) five times higher respect to the other analyzed samples was observed. Results previously reported in literature,1 indicate that the presence of pyrazines was directly related to the intensity of the thermal process of the seeds, prior to the oil pressing. The results of our analysis, carried out on commercial products, clearly show that in pumpkin oils it is possibile to individuate some classes of compounds as markers of the roasting process conducted on the seeds: the concentration of the aldehydic C4 compounds, of the sulfur compounds, furans and pyrazines, considerably increases on the basis of roasting grade. The presence of the sulfur compounds and of various pyrazines is a determining factor for the characteristic aromatic profile of this type of product. INTRODUCTION Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seed oil is a common salad oil in southern Austrian region (Styria), Slovenia and Ungheria. This oil was obtained from the seeds of Steirischer Olkurbis pumpkin, the only one variety employed of the 800 different types, with seeds without rinds of a dark green color. The pumpkin seed oil is mainly produced by a traditional method: the cleaned seeds were dried, grounded, kneaded, roasted and subsequently pressed at elevated temperatures ( °C). During the roasting process of pumpkin seeds a rather high number of compounds could be identified in the volatile fraction belonging to the chemical classes of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, sulfur compounds, furans and pyrazines, respectively (1). The aim of the present investigation is to study the characteristics of two classes of products present on the market: pumpkin seeds oil for dietary and therapeutic use. The seeds of the first group, collected in Slovenia, should be roasted before extraction at high temperature, while the seeds of second group, collected in Italy, should have had mild conditions. The aim of this study is the evaluation of the qualitative and quantitative profile of the volatile fractions in pumpkin seed oil using a dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DHS-GC-MS) technique in order to evaluate the possibility of discriminating the samples on the basis of these compounds. References 1)Siegmund B and Murkovic M, Changes in chemical composition of pumpkin seeds during theroasting process for production of pumpkin seed oil (Part 2: volatile compounds). Food Chem 84: (2004). 2)Barcarolo R and Casson P, Modified capillary GC/MS system enabling dynamic head space sampling with on-line cryofocusing and cold on column injection of liquid samples. J High Resol Chromatog 20: (1997). Volatile Compounds (µg/kg) in the examined samples of pumpkin seed oil. RtCompounds methanol acetaldehyde methanethiol methylformate ethanol acetone ethylformate n.d dimethylsulfide methylacetate carbon disulfide n.d dimethylsulfone isobutanal butenal (crotonal) ,3-butanedione butanal butanone ethylacetate isobutanol methylbutanal pentanonen.d. 0.32n.d butylformaten.d. 0.49n.d methylbutanal penten-3-ol pentanal methyl-2-butenal dimethyldisulfide pentanol n.d hexanone hexanal methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one0.12n.d n.d methylpyrazine furfural n.d hexenal heptanone heptanal ,6-dimethylpyrazine heptenal octanone dimethyltrisulfiden.d n.d pentylfuran octanal methyl-2-ethylpyrazine nonanal Volatile compounds (µg/kg) in the examined samples of pumpkin seed oil. RtCompounds methanol acetaldehyde methanethioln.d.6.81n.d methylformate ethanol acetone ethylformate n.d dimethylsulfiden.d n.d. 8.11methylacetate carbon disulfiden.d n.d. 8.71dimethylsulfone isobutanal butenal (crotonal) ,3-butanedione butanal butanone ethylacetate isobutanol methylbutanal pentanone n.d butylformate n.d methylbutanal penten-3-ol n.d pentanal methyl-2-butenal n.d dimethyldisulfide pentanol hexanone hexanal methyltetrahydrofuran-3-onen.d n.d methylpyrazine furfural n.d hexenal n.d heptanone heptanal ,6-dimethylpyrazine heptenal n.d octanone dimethyltrisulfiden.d pentylfuran octanal n.d methyl-2-ethylpyrazine n.d nonanal Experimental 12 samples of various origin of pumpkin seeds oil were analyzed. In particular three samples are from Italy (1, 2 and 3) and nine from Slovenia. Analysis of volatile compounds has been carried out by means of the analytical system developed by Barcarolo and described elsewhere (2). Oil sample (about 25 mL) was exactly weighed in a 50 ml vial, than 0.02 ml (13.8 mg) of isooctane was added as internal standard. The sample was purged by bubbling helium: the stripping was carried out for 180 seconds with helium at a rate of 10 ml/min. Volatile components were driven into a capillary tube that was inside a cryogenic trap maintained at – 110°C and connected in an on column mode to a capillary gas chromatograph (Carlo Erba GC 8000, Carlo Erba, Milan, Italy). At the end of sampling (purging) time, desorption of volatile components takes place by heating the trap to 240°C in 5 seconds and then by transferring volatiles to the capillary column. The analytical column used was a capillary fused-silica column 50 mX0.32 mm I.D., coated with PS 264 (Mega, Milan, Italy) and of 3 mm film thickness. The capillary gas chromatography system was coupled directly to a MD 800 mass spectrometer (Carlo Erba, Milan, Italy). Gas chromatography conditions were the following: oven initial temperature 40°C, hold for 6 min, then programmed to 180°C at a rate of 5°C/min, then 5 min at 180°C, then at 7°C/min to 200°C, held 3 min, and finally at 10°C/min to 220°C with 5 min of final isotherm. Transfer line temperature was kept at 250°C. The mass spectrometer scanned from m/z 29 to m/z 300 at 0.5 seconds cycle time.