The growing interest in foods that can be beneficial to human health is bringing into focus some products that have been used locally for centuries but have recently gained worldwide attention. One of these foods is pumpkin seed oil, which has been used in culinary and traditional medicine, but recent data also show its use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In addition, some sources refer to it as a potential functional food, mainly because it is obtained from pumpkin seeds, which contain many functional components. However, the production process of the oil may affect the content of these components and consequently the biological activity of the oil. In this review, we have focused on summarizing scientific data that explore the potential of pumpkin seed oil as a functional food ingredient. We provide a comprehensive overview of pumpkin seed oil chemical composition, phytochemical content, biological activity, and safety, as well as the overview of production processes and contemporary use. The main phytochemicals in pumpkin seed oil with health-related properties are polyphenols, phytoestrogens, and fatty acids, but carotenoids, squalene, tocopherols, and minerals may also contribute to health benefits. Most studies have been conducted in vitro and support the claim that pumpkin seed oil has antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Clinical studies have shown that pumpkin seed oil may be beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular problems of menopausal women and ailments associated with imbalance of sex hormones.

Applied Biotechnology Research Center Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran

Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry Faculty of Science University of Vigo Ourense Spain

Department of Applied Ecology Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic

Department of Biology Science Faculty Selcuk University Konya Turkey

Department of Food Technology University Center Koprivnica University North Koprivnica Croatia

Department of Pharmaceutical Botany Faculty of Pharmacy Hacettepe University Ankara Turkey

Department of Pharmacognosy Faculty of Pharmacy Gazi University Ankara Turkey

Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Sciences University of Calabria Rende CS Italy

Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Kumamoto University Chuo ku Kumamoto Japan

Imam Hossein Hospital Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran

Medicinal Plants Research Centre Faculty of Pharmacy University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran

Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center Health Institute Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences Kermanshah Iran

School of Agricultural Sciences Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment University of Thessaly Volos Greece

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