Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar Variability
<i>Cucurbita pepo</i> (CP) seeds are traditionally used to alleviate lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and overactive bladder. While these effects are often attributed to lipophilic constituents, recent studies have highlighted the therapeutic pote...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Adina-Elena Grasu Roman Senn Christiane Halbsguth Alexander Schenk Veronika Butterweck Anca Miron |
| author_facet | Adina-Elena Grasu Roman Senn Christiane Halbsguth Alexander Schenk Veronika Butterweck Anca Miron |
| author_sort | Adina-Elena Grasu |
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| description | <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> (CP) seeds are traditionally used to alleviate lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and overactive bladder. While these effects are often attributed to lipophilic constituents, recent studies have highlighted the therapeutic potential of oil-free hydroethanolic extracts. However, their composition remains insufficiently characterized, considering the species’ significant phenotypic and phytochemical variability. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile of hydrophilic hydroethanolic seed extracts from ten CP cultivars originating from different European regions, with a focus on compositional variability. The elemental composition, along with primary and secondary metabolites, was analyzed using established spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. The extracts showed considerable variation in protein (45.39 to 114.58 mg/g dw) and free amino acid content (46.51 to 111.10 mg/g dw), as well as differences in elemental composition. Principal component analysis revealed distinct clustering patterns, with several samples displaying metabolite profiles comparable to the <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> var. <i>styriaca</i> variety currently recommended by the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). These findings open the possibility of using other CP varieties as alternative sources for extract preparation and offer novel insights into the composition of less explored hydrophilic extracts derived from CP seeds. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7dfff9b16fe4001aa6d1d21c2e89a69 |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-b7dfff9b16fe4001aa6d1d21c2e89a692025-08-20T03:02:58ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011415230810.3390/plants14152308Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar VariabilityAdina-Elena Grasu0Roman Senn1Christiane Halbsguth2Alexander Schenk3Veronika Butterweck4Anca Miron5Department of Pharmacognosy-Phytotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaMax Zeller & Söhne AG, Seeblickstrasse 4, 8590 Romanshorn, SwitzerlandMax Zeller & Söhne AG, Seeblickstrasse 4, 8590 Romanshorn, SwitzerlandMax Zeller & Söhne AG, Seeblickstrasse 4, 8590 Romanshorn, SwitzerlandMax Zeller & Söhne AG, Seeblickstrasse 4, 8590 Romanshorn, SwitzerlandDepartment of Pharmacognosy-Phytotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania<i>Cucurbita pepo</i> (CP) seeds are traditionally used to alleviate lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and overactive bladder. While these effects are often attributed to lipophilic constituents, recent studies have highlighted the therapeutic potential of oil-free hydroethanolic extracts. However, their composition remains insufficiently characterized, considering the species’ significant phenotypic and phytochemical variability. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile of hydrophilic hydroethanolic seed extracts from ten CP cultivars originating from different European regions, with a focus on compositional variability. The elemental composition, along with primary and secondary metabolites, was analyzed using established spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. The extracts showed considerable variation in protein (45.39 to 114.58 mg/g dw) and free amino acid content (46.51 to 111.10 mg/g dw), as well as differences in elemental composition. Principal component analysis revealed distinct clustering patterns, with several samples displaying metabolite profiles comparable to the <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> var. <i>styriaca</i> variety currently recommended by the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). These findings open the possibility of using other CP varieties as alternative sources for extract preparation and offer novel insights into the composition of less explored hydrophilic extracts derived from CP seeds.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2308<i>Cucurbita pepo</i>lignanscucurbitintrigonellineraffinosestachyose |
| spellingShingle | Adina-Elena Grasu Roman Senn Christiane Halbsguth Alexander Schenk Veronika Butterweck Anca Miron Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar Variability Plants <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> lignans cucurbitin trigonelline raffinose stachyose |
| title | Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar Variability |
| title_full | Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar Variability |
| title_fullStr | Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar Variability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar Variability |
| title_short | Profiling Hydrophilic <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Seed Extracts: A Study of European Cultivar Variability |
| title_sort | profiling hydrophilic i cucurbita pepo i seed extracts a study of european cultivar variability |
| topic | <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> lignans cucurbitin trigonelline raffinose stachyose |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2308 |
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