## 1 Introduction  
The major changes in relation to an increased \"nutritional awareness\" of the consumer and progress in food technology contribute to the dynamic growth of the functional food market. The global plant-based food market is expected to grow at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.9% from 2020 to 2027 to reach 74.2 billion USD by 2027 [1]. The development of novel functional plant-based food products is becoming a challenge for the food industry, taking into account the evolving vegan, flexitarian and vegetarian consumer diets and also the diets of those with conditions such as lactose intolerance. The growth of this food segment has a large market potential [1]. Probiotic products are examples of functional foods. The probiotic food market is dominated by dairy products. However, it also includes non-dairy products (pickled vegetables, juices, ice cream, desserts), as well as fermented soybean products such as natto, tempeh, and miso or meat products. Probiotic microorganisms are defined as \"live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host\" [2]. The application of fermentation technology to plant-origin food matrix processing and the development of novel probiotic fermented products increase the added value of fruit and vegetables. Thissolution also combines probiotics and their active metabolites with prebiotics (dietary fiber, etc. ), thereby promoting intestinal health as well as preventing and relieving chronic diseases. It also indicates an important development direction for the probiotics industry in the future [3]. The pumpkins (_Cicurbita_ sp.) are known for their high concentrations of carotenoids such as \(\alpha\)- and \(\beta\)-carotene, \(\alpha\)- and \(\beta\)- cryptoxanthin, lutein, antheraxanthin and a few other xanthophylls. They are also a rich source of mineral salts and vitamins for human consumption. These vegetables do not accumulate contaminants, e.g., from the soil, and are characterized by a very low, trace level of heavy metals. The pumpkin flesh is eaten raw, and also provides a valuable component of many dishes and desserts in gastronomy technology and it is used as an addition in fruit products for industrial production [4; 5; 6]. It is known that pumpkin beverages and sorbets are suitable food matrices for probiotics [7; 8; 9]. According to [PERSON] (2021) [10], pumpkin seeds are also a good candidate for probiotic products. However, the possibility of using a pumpkin by-product to produce novel supplements containing _L. casei_ has also been explored [11]. High resistance of the oligosaccharides from pumpkin pulp towards hydrolysis in human gastric juice can stimulate the lactobacilli growth [12]. For nutritional reasons, in sorbet technology, a vegetable was used as a raw material. Vegetables in the diet are a valuable source of antioxidative vitamins and have basic properties and low-calorie properties. Recently, some authors [13; 14] also reported that a recommended healthy consumption of antioxidant nutrients to guarantee good \"strengthening of defenses\" may be necessary to address aspects of the world health emergency caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The concept of a probiotic plant-based frozen dessert is also a part of the \"clean label\" trend, which means the product is positioned to can be \"organic\", \"natural\" (i.e., following natural production method) and/or \"free from\" artificial ingredients/additives [15]. The previous studies have explored the possibility of using pumpkin flesh to produce probiotic products and to examine their quality. The technology of probiotic pumpkin sorbet production has helped develop optimal conditions of fermentation to obtain the highest survivability of probiotic cultures, as well as the best sensorial attributes [9; 16; 17]. However, in plant-based food technology, a new trend has recently been noted in the development of novel, potentially functional products in the aspect of the plant cultivar used [18; 19; 20].