Cucurbita pepo L., and related cultivars

Cucumis pepo (L.) Dumort.; Cucurbita elongata Bean ex Schrad; and others

Cucurbitaceae

Bitter bottle gourd; pepita; pumpkin; summer pumpkin; squash

Cucurbitae peponis semen

Dried seed

The seeds are rich in oil (approximately 35%) and protein (38%), and contain alpha-tocopherols (approximately 3 mg/100 g). The oil is composed of free fatty acids, mainly the unsaturated linoleic (35–68%), oleic acids (15–48%) and gadoleic acids, with the saturated palmitic and stearic acids; phytosterols (Δ⁷-sterols including spinasterol, avenasterol, ergostenol and stigmastenol), together with smaller amounts of Δ⁵-sterols such as campesterol, stigmasterol, clerosterol and isofucosterol, and terpenoids (especially squalene) (Stevenson et al. 2007; Yadav et al. 2010; Younis et al. 2000).The seeds also contain significant amounts of the phytoestrogenic lignan secoisolariciresinol (in one study, 21 mg/100 g of dry weight), with traces of lariciresinol (Sicilia et al. 2003).

Two comparatively large studies in men with BPH, (a 12-month randomised, placebo-controlled, multi-centre study with 476 patients and a 3-month open multi-centre study involving 2245 patients) showed an improvement in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Most importantly, the frequency of urination decreased during the day from 6.7 to 4.8, and at night from 2.7 to 1.1 times (Bach 2000; Sabo et al. 1999; WHO 2009; Yadav et al. 2010).