Development of a technology for producing pectin-rich feed flour from secondary raw materials of pumpkin and sesame processing

Abstract

This article presents the results of research into a process for producing composite feed material with a high pectin and dietary fibre content from sesame flowers and shoots — a by-product of pumpkin processing. Experimental studies were carried out between 2023 and 2025 and focused on investigating the physico-chemical composition of the raw materials, the effect of different drying temperatures on pectin retention and processing parameters, and determining the optimal formulation for the composite meal. Based on the average results over the three-year period, the pectin content in pumpkin processing waste was 6.50 per cent, in sesame flowers 4.28 per cent, and in sesame shoots 2.67 per cent. The total dietary fibre content in sesame stems reached 46.2 per cent. A comparative assessment of drying conditions identified 50±2 °C as the optimum temperature, ensuring the retention of 94.0-94.9 per cent of pectin. The most favourable formulation of functional flour was identified as comprising 70 per cent pumpkin flour, 20 per cent sesame flower flour and 10 per cent sesame sprout flour. In this composition, the pectin content was 5.39 per cent, dietary fibre 31.0 per cent and protein 11.3 per cent, whilst the water-holding capacity was 3.62 g/g and the swelling capacity 6.2 ml/g. The results obtained demonstrate the potential for producing a functional ingredient to enrich food products through the comprehensive processing of secondary plant resources from pumpkin and sesame.