elevated levels of primary and secondary oxidation products exemplified by high
Totox values.
19.8 Health Attributes
Pumpkin seed oil has been used in many countries namely China, India, Brazil,
Mexico, America, Argentina, and Yugoslavia as a part of traditional medicine
therapy. The seeds are widely used in the treatment of prostate gland and urinary
bladder disorders. The health benefits of pumpkin seeds are mainly attributed to its
nutrient and phytochemical composition. Studies have indicated higher concentrations of proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, tocopherol, minerals, and
bioactive compounds like phytosterols, antioxidative, phenolic compounds, lignans,
and triterpenes in pumpkin seed. The extracts of pumpkin have also been found to be
effective against tumor, bacteria, mutations and are reported to have
hypocholestremic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant properties (Caili et al. 2006).
19.8.1 In Hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia is the condition of high blood glucose (blood sugar). High blood
sugar happens when the body has too little insulin or when the body cannot use
insulin properly. Bharti et al. (2013) demonstrated the antidiabetic effect of
Cucurbita pepo extracts on Wistar rats with loss of β-cell sensitivity and impaired
glucose response. Cucurbita pepo seed extract (CPSE) when administered for
3 weeks at a dose of 5 g CPSE/kg body weight caused marked decrease in blood
glucose levels accompanied by a reduction in hyperinsulinemia and improved
sensitivity to insulin, which was assessed using Homeostasis Model Assessment
(HOMA) index for insulin resistance (IR). Administration of CPSE resulted in
significant increase in glucagon like polypeptide-1(GLP-1) concentration in the
cecum of diabetic rats, enlargement of cecal tissue, notable increase in islets number,
and improvements in the insulitis grade. Though there was fasting hyperglycemia,
CPSE treatment showed a significant increase in fasting plasma insulin levels which
could be due to increase in insulin-positive cell mass. The researchers concluded that
hypoglycemic effect of pumpkin seed extract could be attributed to the presence of
tocopherol, which is also responsible for reducing oxidative markers and improvements in cecal and pancreatic characteristics.
The supplementation of flax and pumpkin seed mixture exhibited improvement in
glycemic control and decrease in elevated plasma liver enzyme levels (aspartate
transaminase and alanin transaminase) in alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats
(Makni et al. 2011). In a similar setup, another animal study showed a marked
decrease in plasma and kidney malonaldialdehyde levels (MDA). The observation of
histological sections of the kidney showed glomerular hypertrophy and tubular
19 Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Seed
485
Totox values.
19.8 Health Attributes
Pumpkin seed oil has been used in many countries namely China, India, Brazil,
Mexico, America, Argentina, and Yugoslavia as a part of traditional medicine
therapy. The seeds are widely used in the treatment of prostate gland and urinary
bladder disorders. The health benefits of pumpkin seeds are mainly attributed to its
nutrient and phytochemical composition. Studies have indicated higher concentrations of proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, tocopherol, minerals, and
bioactive compounds like phytosterols, antioxidative, phenolic compounds, lignans,
and triterpenes in pumpkin seed. The extracts of pumpkin have also been found to be
effective against tumor, bacteria, mutations and are reported to have
hypocholestremic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant properties (Caili et al. 2006).
19.8.1 In Hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia is the condition of high blood glucose (blood sugar). High blood
sugar happens when the body has too little insulin or when the body cannot use
insulin properly. Bharti et al. (2013) demonstrated the antidiabetic effect of
Cucurbita pepo extracts on Wistar rats with loss of β-cell sensitivity and impaired
glucose response. Cucurbita pepo seed extract (CPSE) when administered for
3 weeks at a dose of 5 g CPSE/kg body weight caused marked decrease in blood
glucose levels accompanied by a reduction in hyperinsulinemia and improved
sensitivity to insulin, which was assessed using Homeostasis Model Assessment
(HOMA) index for insulin resistance (IR). Administration of CPSE resulted in
significant increase in glucagon like polypeptide-1(GLP-1) concentration in the
cecum of diabetic rats, enlargement of cecal tissue, notable increase in islets number,
and improvements in the insulitis grade. Though there was fasting hyperglycemia,
CPSE treatment showed a significant increase in fasting plasma insulin levels which
could be due to increase in insulin-positive cell mass. The researchers concluded that
hypoglycemic effect of pumpkin seed extract could be attributed to the presence of
tocopherol, which is also responsible for reducing oxidative markers and improvements in cecal and pancreatic characteristics.
The supplementation of flax and pumpkin seed mixture exhibited improvement in
glycemic control and decrease in elevated plasma liver enzyme levels (aspartate
transaminase and alanin transaminase) in alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats
(Makni et al. 2011). In a similar setup, another animal study showed a marked
decrease in plasma and kidney malonaldialdehyde levels (MDA). The observation of
histological sections of the kidney showed glomerular hypertrophy and tubular
19 Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Seed
485