Pumpkin seeds are often eaten roasted and can be eaten with or without their outer shell.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) is a vegetable widely cultivated and cultivated all over the world and belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.

Cucurbita genus is composed of five major species comprising the majority of pumpkin and squashes –Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita argyrosperma, Cucurbita ficifolia. 

Chemical composition

The fruit flesh is rich in carotenoids, tocopherols, polysaccharides, carbohydrates and minerals which endow pumpkin with medical functions including antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antitumor, antioxidant, immunomodulation, antibacterial, antihypercholesterolemia, intestinal antiparasitia, anti-inflammation and antalgic activities (1).

The seed contains fatty acids (≤64% linoleic acid), specific delta-7-sterols, tocopherols and micronutrients (2).

Potential health benefits

The oral administration of high doses of pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil reduced prostate weight in experimental animal models of prostate growth (3).

Pumpkin seed oil is considered a preventive agent for various pathologies, particularly prostate diseases. These properties are related to its high content of carotenoids and liposoluble vitamins. In this study the carotenoid (lutein and zeaxanthin), vitamin E (α- and γ-tocopherol) and fatty acid contents (4).

This study validates the hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effect of Cucurbita maxima seed extract and therefore this extract could be further explored for development as a new anti-diabetic agent (5).

Pumpkin seed studies

References_______________________________________________________________________

(1) Caili F, Huan S, Quanhong L  A review on pharmacological activities and utilization technologies of pumpkin. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2006 Jun; 61(2):73-80.

(2) Strobl M, Patz B, Bracher F: Kürbissamen bei Störungen der Blasenfunktion. DAZ 2004;144:4010-4014.

(3) Vahlensieck W, Theurer C, Pfitzer E, Patz B, Banik N, Engelmann U. Effects of pumpkin seed in men with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia in the one-year, randomized, placebo-controlled GRANU study. Urol Int. 2015;94(3):286-95. doi: 10.1159/000362903. Epub 2014 Sep 5.

Gossell-Williams M, Davis A, O'Connor N: Inhibition of testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate of Sprague-Dawley rats by pumpkin seed oil. J Med Food 2006;9:284-286.

Kim SH, Jung KI, Koh JS, Min KO, Cho SY, Kim HW: Lower urinary tract symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients: orchestrated by chronic prostatic inflammation and prostatic calculi? Urol Int 2013;90:144-149.

(4) Procida G, Stancher B, Cateni F, Zacchigna M. Chemical composition and functional characterisation of commercial pumpkin seed oil.  J Sci Food Agric. 2013 Mar 30;93(5):1035-41. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.5843. Epub 2012 Aug 30.

(5) Kushawaha DK, Yadav M, Chatterji S, Srivastava AK, Watal G. Evidence based study of antidiabetic potential of C. maxima seeds - In vivo.   J Tradit Complement Med. 2017 Jan 17;7(4):466-470. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2016.12.001