'Loche' Squash (Cucurbita moschata): Phytochemical Profile and Bioaccessibility of Carotenoids, Tocopherols, and...

'Loche' squash (Cucurbita moschata) is an ancient cucurbit landrace from northern Peru, with deep cultural roots in the Moche cuisine tradition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to combine phytochemical profiling of raw and cooked pulp with standardized in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and intestinal cell-based assessment in this matrix. This study assessed the carotenoid, tocopherol, and (poly)phenol composition of raw and boiled pulp, evaluated bioaccessibility through standardized in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (INFOGEST), and investigated the effects of the bioaccessible fraction on intracellular glutathione levels in a Caco-2:HT29-MTX-E12 co-culture model. UHPLC-DAD-MS² tentatively identified 16 phytochemicals, including phenolic and hydroxycinnamic acids, coumarin, and glycosylated derivatives. Lutein and α-tocopherol were the predominant carotenoid and tocopherol in raw pulp, respectively. Boiling substantially reduced all quantified phytochemicals, with tocopherols showing the greatest losses (77-93%) and phenolic acids being nearly depleted (retention 7-11%). Bioaccessibility was compound-specific: zeaxanthin showed the highest micellarization efficiency (70.9%), tocopherols were moderately to highly bioaccessible, and phenolic acids were poorly recovered (≤ 3.6%). No significant effects on cell viability or intracellular glutathione levels were observed. These findings support the nutritional valorization of this culturally significant Andean crop.