The Effect of Cucurbita Consumption on Non-Communicable Diseases



Heidaribeni M¹ ; Atazadegan MA² ; Derakhshandehrishehri SM³ ; Kelishadi R⁴ Show Affiliations
Source: Cucurbita: Biology, Distribution and Habitat Published:2020

Abstract

Traditional medicine is considered in the treatment of numerous diseases, particularly non-communicable diseases (NCD). Recent studies have reported the beneficial effects of some herbs in treatment or prevention of NCDs pathogenesis or symptoms. Medicinal plants as supplementary methods can be used to reduce the complications of the chronic diseases. There are a lot of plants that are considered as experimental treatment for NCDs. Some of their active compounds are mucilage gum, glycans, flavonoids, triterpenes, and alkaloids. One of these plants is Cucurbita ficifolia (Cucurbitaceae), which traditionally has been used in Asia. It is popularly known as pumpkin. Studies showed that Cucurbita ficifolia has antihyperglycaemic, antilipidemic, antioxidant, anti-tumor properties, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial and anthelmintic potential and has beneficial effects on cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. These activities were investigated for the most widely used cucurbitacins in vivo and in vitro studies. However, the mechanisms of these actions are unknown and further exploratory studies are needed to investigate the effect of Cucurbita on prevention and/or therapy of NCDs. In this chapter, we discussed the different effect of Cucurbita ficifolia (Cucurbitaceae) on common NCDs. © 2020 Nova Science Publishers, Inc..