EFFECT OF SPROUTING ON CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT OF FLUTED PUMPKIN SEED

The concentrations of individual sugars contained in both dormant and sprouted fluted pumpkin seed (Telfairia occidentalis, Hook F.) were determined. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of extracts from fluted pumpkin seed showed marked reduction in the total carbohydrate concentration due to sprouting with corresponding increase in the total soluble sugar concentration. The carbohydrates of dormant fluted pumpkin seed consist mostly of sucrose and small amounts of glucose, fructose, galactose, raffinose and stachyose, while sprouted seed contained mostly glucose, fructose, maltose and a low concentration of sucrose and one unidentified sugar.