Title
Antioxidant potential of family Cucurbitaceae with special emphasis on Cucurbita genus: A key to alleviate oxidative stress-mediated disorders
Date Issued
01 July 2021
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
review
Author(s)
Salehi B.
Sharifi-Rad J.
Giri L.
Suyal R.
Jugran A.K.
Zucca P.
Rescigno A.
Peddio S.
Bobiş O.
Moise A.R.
Leyva-Gómez G.
Del Prado-Audelo M.L.
Cortes H.
Iriti M.
Martorell M.
Cruz-Martins N.
Kumar M.
Zam W.
Universidad Arturo Prat
Publisher(s)
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Abstract
Oxidative stress is the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and accumulation and the ability of a biological system to clear these reactive products. This imbalance leads to cell and tissue damage causing several disorders in human body, such as neurodegeneration, metabolic problems, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Cucurbitaceae family consists of about 100 genera and 1,000 species of plants including mostly tropical, annual or perennial, monoecious, and dioecious herbs. The plants from Cucurbita species are rich sources of phytochemicals and act as a rich source of antioxidants. The most important phytochemicals present in the cucurbits are cucurbitacins, saponins, carotenoids, phytosterols, and polyphenols. These bioactive phyto-constituents are responsible for the pharmacological effects including antioxidant, antitumor, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, anti-obesity, diuretic, anti-ulcer activity, and antigenotoxic. A wide number of in vitro and in vivo studies have ascribed these health-promoting effects of Cucurbita genus. Results of clinical trials suggest that Cucurbita provides health benefits for diabetic patients, patients with benign prostate hyperplasia, infertile women, postmenopausal women, and stress urinary incontinence in women. The intend of the present review is to focus on the protective role of Cucurbita spp. phytochemicals on oxidative stress-related disorders on the basis of preclinical and human studies. The review will also give insights on the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant potential of the Cucurbitaceae family as a whole.
Start page
3533
End page
3557
Volume
35
Issue
7
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Otras ciencias médicas
Química medicinal
Subjects
DOI
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85100887401
PubMed ID
Source
Phytotherapy Research
ISSN of the container
0951418X
Sponsor(s)
This work was supported by CONICYT PIA/APOYO CCTE AFB170007. NM acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Horizon 2020 Program (PTDC/PSI-GER/28076/2017).
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus