Volume 15, Issue 57, 2026 (January – March)
Review Article
Chemical Constituents and Functional Phytochemistry of Pumpkin: A Nutraceutical Perspective
Mehnaza Bashir, Julie D. Bandral, Monika Sood, Abhay Bhagat, Kamaldeep Kour and Nancy Vohra
Keywords: Phytochemicals, Bioactive compounds, Pharmacological activities, Antioxidant activity, Cancer prevention, Waste utilization, pharmaceutical applications.
DOI:10.37273/chesci.cs122056081
Abstract
The pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is a popular edible plant that is grown and widely used as a functional food and herbal remedy. The purpose of this review was to examine the nutritional and functional components of pumpkin as well as the advantages these nutrients have for health. Fractions of pumpkin are a great source of minerals, proteins, carbs, and oils. Phenolics, flavonoids, tocopherols, carotenoids, terpenoids, cucurbitacin, moschatin, and phytosterols are among the families of phytochemical substances that have been identified from pumpkin fractions. Numerous epidemiological investigations on animals and human trials have provided substantial information regarding the pharmacological activities of pumpkin bioactives. The history of the pumpkin diet shows that there is a negative correlation between its use and the incidence of cancer. The seeds, peel, and meat of pumpkins contain active compounds that function as powerful antimicrobials and antioxidants. During processing, no portion of the pumpkin fruit should be thrown away because it has good phytochemistry that can have positive health effects. The food and pharmaceutical sectors can use all of these pumpkin parts as medicinal agents by isolating and characterizing the bioactives in the form of powders or extracts.
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