Bibliometric analysis of pumpkin seed proteins: A review of the multifunctional properties of their hydrolysates and future perspectives

Population growth and the need for a healthy diet have motivated the search for alternative protein sources. This need for natural resources can often be satisfied through strategies for using industrial waste and by-products generated between different sectors of the food sector. An alternative is to use pumpkin seeds as a by-product to obtain protein. Thus, based on literature data, this study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the progress of research on pumpkin seed proteins and the multifunctional properties of their hydrolysates. From the scientific database, 436 documents published between 2014 and 2023 (64.4%–65.4% published in the last 4 years) were identified and subjected to bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer software. Studies have shown that pumpkin seed protein has limitations in its aqueous solubility, especially at a pH close to neutrality. In this way, enzymatic hydrolysis improved this technical capacity and produced potentially bioactive peptides. Furthermore, emerging techniques, alone or combined with enzymatic hydrolysis, are the future trends to increase the solubility of pumpkin seed protein. However, investigations into the various functions of pumpkin seed protein hydrolysates are still incipient. Therefore, further research should be carried out about the industrialization potential, toxicity, and allergenicity of the compounds obtained.