Cucurbita pepo L. - Cucurbitaceae - marrow, pumpkin, (summer) squash, **Gartenkürbis**, Gemüsekürbis

Annual monoecious herb, decumbent or climbing, up to 10m long, native to North America (Mexico, US), widely cultivated; stem and petioles bristly; leaves five-lobed, ovate-triangular, both surfaces scabrous-hairy, base cordate, margin irregularly dentate; corolla yellow, campanulate, ca. 5×3cm; fruit variable in shape and size; seeds numerous, white, ovate. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucurbita_pepo|fruits]] (pumpkins, marrows, zucchini...) are used as a vegetable. [[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200022621]]

Styrian pumpkin seed oil is a viscous oil of light to very dark green to dark red colour, owning an intense nutty taste. It is made by pressing roasted, hulled pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo var. Styriaca) seeds. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_seed_oil]] 

"Application of the aroma extract dilution analysis on a distillate prepared from an authentic Styrian pumpkin seed oil followed by identification experiments led to the characterization of 47 odor-active compounds in the flavor dilution (FD) factor range of 8-8192 among which 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (roasty, popcorn-like), 2-propionyl-1-pyrroline (roasty, popcorn-like), 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove-like), and phenylacetaldehyde (honey-like) showed the highest FD factors... On the basis of the quantitative data and odor thresholds determined in sunflower oil, odor activity values (OAV; ratio of concentration to odor threshold) were calculated, and 26 aroma compounds were found to have an OAV above 1. Among them, methanethiol (sulfury), 2-methylbutanal (malty), 3-methylbutanal (malty), and 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine (roasted potato) reached the highest OAVs. Sensory evaluation of an aroma recombinate prepared by mixing the 31 key odorants in the concentrations as determined in the oil revealed that the aroma of Styrian pumpkin seed oil could be closely mimicked." \\
[Characterization of the aroma signature of styrian pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo var. Styriaca) by molecular sensory science., Poehlmann, S., Schieberle, P., Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 61(12), 2013, 2933-2942]

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The seeds of C.pepo subsp.pepo (especially var.styriaca and var.oleifera; pumpkin seed, Cucurbitae semen, Kürbissamen) and preparations thereof are used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) related lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Treated symptoms include urinary retention, frequent urination, nocturia, incomplete emptying, intermittency, urgency, weakness of the urinary system and also overactive bladder syndrome. \\
The seeds contain Δ-7 sterols (also Δ-5 an Δ-8 sterols, together about 1%) and their glucosides which are thought to be the active compounds - by inhibition of dihydrotestosterone binding to cytoplasmic receptors. \\ 
[Wolfgang Blaschek ed., Wichtl - Teedrogen und Phytopharmaka: Ein Handbuch für die Praxis, 2015, 207-209] 

{{:delta7sterols.jpg|}} \\ 
Δ-7 sterols: 24β-ethyl-5α-cholesta-7,25-diene-3β-ol and 24β-ethyl-5α-cholesta-7,22,25-triene-3β-ol (double bond C-22)

"The German Research Activities on Natural Urologicals (GRANU) study was a randomized, partially blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial that investigated the efficacy of pumpkin seed in men with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH/LUTS)... A total of 1,431 men (50−80 years) with BPH/LUTS were randomly assigned to either pumpkin seed (5 g b.i.d.), capsules with pumpkin seed extract (500 mg b.i.d.) or matching placebo. The primary response criterion was a decrease in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of ≥5 points from baseline after 12 months... After 12 months, the response rate (intention-to-treat/last-observation-carried-forward approach) did not differ between pumpkin seed extract and placebo. In the case of pumpkin seed (responders: 58.5%), the difference compared with placebo (responders: 47.3%) was descriptively significant. The study products were well tolerated. Overall, in men with BPH, 12 months of treatment with pumpkin seed led to a clinically relevant reduction in IPSS compared with placebo." \\
[Effects of pumpkin seed in men with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia in the one-year, randomized, placebo-controlled GRANU study., Vahlensieck, W., Theurer, C., Pfitzer, E., Patz, B., Banik, N., Engelmann, U., Urologia internationalis, 2014]

{{:cucurbita_pepo.jpg?700}}  \\
Vietz,F.B., Icones plantarum medico-oeconomico-technologicarum, vol.2 t.148 (1804) \\
[[http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=297580]]