Nutritional and chemical composition of pumpkins (Cucurbita ssp.): Special focus on pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin leaves, fruits, male flowers, vine tips and seeds are all consumed as food. In most tropical countries, pumpkin is mainly grown for the mature fruit which is cooked and the flesh eaten. Pumpkins are consumed both as vegetables and medicines in many parts of the world. They have been used to treat various conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and hepatitis, among others. Pumpkin fruit is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, macro-and micronutrients and other health-promoting chemical compounds. Pumpkins are also grown for seeds and pumpkin seed oil. The seeds are consumed directly as a snack after salting and roasting. The objective of this review was to highlight the nutritional value as well as chemical composition of the pumpkin fruit parts especially the seeds. Pumpkin seeds are rich in protein, fibres, minerals, fatty acids, phytosterols, antioxidants such as carotenoids and tocopherols as well as macro- and micronutrients. Pumpkin seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids mostly oleic and linoleic fatty acids; this makes the oil healthy for human consumption. Because of their potential benefits to human health, pumpkin seeds can be considered as natural functional food. Variation in the chemical composition of pumpkin seeds among Cucurbita species and cultivars might be due to differences in soil conditions, climate, genetic factors, fertilization conditions, harvest time, post-harvest handling and the processing methods.