{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T17:01:41Z","timestamp":1786122101989,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786060800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pumpkin leaves (Cucurbita maxima L.) are an underutilized leafy vegetable that represents a rich source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. This study assessed the effects of four common household cooking methods\u2014boiling, steaming, microwaving, and stir-frying\u2014on the nutrient composition, amino acid profile, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, antioxidant potential, antinutritional factors, and \u03b1-amylase inhibitory activity of young pumpkin leaves. Steaming resulted in the highest apparent retention of phenolics, flavonoids, and carotenoids. Microwave treatment also maintained relatively high levels of phytochemicals, whereas boiling caused the greatest losses of bioactive compounds. Steaming also showed the strongest \u03b1-amylase inhibitory activity. Boiling, on the other hand, was the most effective method for reducing antinutritional compounds. The results demonstrate that culinary processing significantly affects the nutritional and functional quality of pumpkin leaves. Collectively, the results suggest that steaming was the most effective method for preserving nutrients and bioactive compounds, whereas boiling was more effective in reducing antinutritional compounds. These findings provide practical evidence-based recommendations for optimizing household cooking methods according to specific nutritional objectives.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules31162740","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T08:01:36Z","timestamp":1786089696000},"page":"2740","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of Household Cooking Methods on the Nutritional, Phytochemical and Functional Properties of Cucurbita maxima Leaves"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0230-8052","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ma\u0142gorzata","family":"Stryjecka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Human Nutrition and Agriculture, The University College of Applied Sciences in Che\u0142m, 22-100 Chelm, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0160-1134","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomasz","family":"Cebulak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Technology and Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Technology and Nutrition, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzesz\u00f3w, 35-601 Rzesz\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6107-2513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Kie\u0142tyka-Dadasiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Production Technology and Commodity Sciences, University of Life Sciences, 20-950 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6653-9055","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ewa","family":"Stamirowska-Krzaczek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Human Nutrition and Agriculture, The University College of Applied Sciences in Che\u0142m, 22-100 Chelm, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marzena","family":"Tomaszewska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Human Nutrition and Agriculture, The University College of Applied Sciences in Che\u0142m, 22-100 Chelm, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8619-3031","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Barbara","family":"Krochmal-Marczak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Production and Food Safety, The University College of Applied Sciences in Krosno, 38-400 Krosno, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6867-0383","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Izabela","family":"Betlej","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Wood Sciences and Furniture, Warsaw University of Life Sciences\u2014SGGW, 159 Nowoursynowska St., 02-776 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1017\/S0007114525104157","article-title":"Plant-based diets and risk of type 2 diabetes: Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis","volume":"134","author":"Murciano","year":"2025","journal-title":"Br. 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