Cucurbits Plants: A Key Emphasis to Its Pharmacological Potential

Abstract

Cucurbita genus has received a renowned interest in the last years. This plant species, native to the Americas, has served worldwide folk medicine for treating gastrointestinal diseases and intestinal parasites, among other clinical conditions. These pharmacological effects have been increasingly correlated with their nutritional and phytochemical composition. Among those chemical constituents, carotenoids, tocopherols, phenols, terpenoids, saponins, sterols, fatty acids, and functional carbohydrates and polysaccharides are those occurring in higher abundance. However, more recently, a huge interest in a class of triterpenoids, cucurbitacins, has been stated, given its renowned biological attributes. In this sense, the present review aims to provide a detailed overview to the folk medicinal uses of Cucurbita plants, and even an in-depth insight on the latest advances with regards to its antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer effects. A special emphasis was also given to its clinical effectiveness in humans, specifically in blood glucose levels control in diabetic patients and pharmacotherapeutic effects in low urinary tract diseases.

Diet, Lifestyle and Cardiovascular Diseases: Linking Pathophysiology to Cardioprotective Effects of Natural Bioactive Compounds

“…A large number of molecules with distinct chemical structures, including polyphenolic compounds, peptides, oligosaccharides, vitamins, and fatty acids, have been reported as having cardioprotective activity [136,137].…”

Cucurbita Plants: From Farm to Industry

“…The presence of active phytochemicals in Cucurbitaceae species makes them a great matrix to be further exploited for both preventive and therapeutic purposes, beyond biotechnological applications. For an emphasis on Cucurbita plants' pharmacological potential, please refer to other review [134].…”

Impact of Natural Compounds on Neurodegenerative Disorders: From Preclinical to Pharmacotherapeutics

“…The medicinal properties of plants are mostly ascribed to secondary phytochemical metabolites [10]. Secondary metabolites, also known as natural products, refer to small-molecule organic compounds that are not directly involved in growth and development, but play an adaptive role in aiding the survival of the organism [11][12][13][14][15]. Secondary…”

“…The medicinal properties of plants are mostly ascribed to secondary phytochemical metabolites [10]. Secondary metabolites, also known as natural products, refer to small-molecule organic compounds that are not directly involved in growth and development, but play an adaptive role in aiding the survival of the organism [11][12][13][14][15]. Secondary metabolites are categorized into a number of compound classes, including terpenoids, alkaloids and phenylpropanoids and allied phenolic compounds, depending on their biosynthetic origins [11], or are broadly classified as nitrogen-containing or non-nitrogen-containing metabolites [10] ( Figure 2).…”