Review of Pumpkin Anticancer Effects

Context: In the earlier times, many people used plants to cure diseases just by experimental data without knowing anything about its compounds. As regards cancer was the most concerning disease in the past (same as now), so recognizing plants with anticancer agents was vital. The first search for herbal anticancer agents had been done in 1950s when vinca alkaloids (Vinblastine and Vincristine) were discovered and cytotoxic podophyllotoxins were isolated. One of these plants is pumpkin. In the past only sick people used pumpkin and then they found it was edible for everyone, and so pumpkin usage became widespread. In the Holy Quran (Sura 37, As-Saaffat, Verse 144-146), Allah said to Jonah:" But we cast him upon the shore when he was ill, and we made a pumpkin tree grow over him ". In North of Iran, pumpkins was the main dietary food which was ordinarily used by people; interestingly the level of cancers, especially gastrointestinal cancers and some of other diseases, were lower than other regions of Iran. Now because of industrialism and lifestyle changes the presence of pumpkin in the diet of families really has decreased, and in parallel the prevalence of variety of cancers, especially gastrointestinal cancers, has increased. Qua Northern provinces have become the gastric cancer belts of Iran. Pumpkin is one of foods that are well known for its healing effects especially on cancers. As we see from the pumpkin diet history, there is an inverse relationship between its usage and cancer prevalence..Evidence Acquisition: Now by knowing pumpkin’s history and its Quranic reference, we want to collect scientific evidences about healing effect of pumpkin on diseases like cancers, especially gastrointestinal cancer. These evidences prove the truth of this inverse relation and surely declare pumpkin as an anticancer plant..

Pumpkin consists of many beneficial nutrients such as phytoestrogen, selenium, fiber, cucurbitacin E, calcium, zinc, other vitamins and minerals, etc. These are not only beneficial for cancer prevention, but also for curing many diseases as many researches and scientific methods prove their effective roles. This article will clarify the existence of certain nutrients in pumpkin and explain their roles in cancer prevention and curing diseases by describing their signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms of action. In addition the pumpkin plant possesses flowers, leaves, roots, and seeds which all have healing nutrients. Therefore we can consider this fruitful plant as a beneficial medicinal herb with certain anticancer aspects..

The pumpkin plant with all its parts consists of highly effective nutrients, where it is considered as a super food for many diseases and cancers, especially gastrointestinal cancer..