A review on pumpkin seed oil (PSO): Its nutritional benefits and therapeutic effects

Abstract

Pumpkin seeds are commonly dumped as agro-industrial waste. The seeds are eaten raw, roasted, or cooked in several parts of the
world, but only in small quantities. Pumpkin seed oil contains high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, phytoestrogens, and
vitamins E, all of which have potential medicinal, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical applications. In recent years, there has been a
rapid increase in the amount of information available about the nutritional components and therapeutic benefits of pumpkin seeds
oil. They are now regarded as valuable for the food business due to their high content of protein, fibers, minerals,
polyunsaturated fatty acids, and phytosterols. Also their beneficial benefits on blood glucose levels, immunity, cholesterol, the
liver, the prostate gland, the bladder, depression, learning difficulties, and parasite inhibition are also being investigated.
Converting these agro- wastes into value-added components is expected to be a significant step forward in global sustainability
efforts, and it merits more exploration. This article provides an updated overview of this new nutraceutical and therapeutic impact.