Journal
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
Volume 91, Issue -, Pages 330-337Publisher
ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.04.090
Keywords
Cucurbitaceae; Seeds; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Functional food
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Cucurbitaceae family members such as pumpkin and watermelon have seeds that are discarded as the by-products of food processing. However, they have been discovered to contain a rich repertoire of nutrients such as proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, tocopherol, phytosterol, squalene etc. Biological assays have proven the seed extracts to exert antioxidative, hypoglycemic, anticancer, antihypertensive, cardioprotective, antilipemic, gynoprotective, and anthelmintic properties. Further, the seeds do not contain any major anti-nutrients. Phytoestrogens like beta-sitosterol occur, which might be acting as agonists or antagonists of estrogen and testosterone, given their validated role in gyenic and prostate health. Few instances of intestinal bezoar, and allergy, following pumpkin seeds consumption have emerged. After the risk-benefit analysis though exhaustive literature search, it can be suggested that these seeds are underutilized and they can be used to formulate a myriad of nutraceuticals. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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