Ameliorative Activity of Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) Fruit and Seeds Powders on Diabetic, Oxidative and Pancreatic Status in Rats

Background: Diabetes mellitus is the one of the most common endocrine diseases that is characterized by hyperglycemia, altered metabolism with an increased risk of much complications. Besides drugs classically used for the treatment of diabetes several species of plants have been described as having a hypoglycemic activity with decreased side effects.

Aim of the Work: This work aimed to investigate the possible anti-diabetic effect of oral administration of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) fruit flesh and seeds powders on Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats via studying blood glucose levels, oxidative biomarkers as well as islets of Langerhans structure changes.

Materials and Methods: 60 adult albino rats of Sprague-Dawely strains (200±5 gm) were classified into five groups of ten animals each except diabetic control group was composed of twenty rats as follow Group I: healthy control; Group II: diabetic control ,Group III, IV and V: diabetic rats received 2 g pumpkin fruit, seeds, fruit and seeds mixture powders respectively /kg body weight daily by oral intubation.

Results: The results of present study showed that pumpkin powders caused significant improvements (P≤0.05) in blood glucose, insulin levels and glycated hemoglobin percent compared to diabetic control group. Also pumpkin powders improved antioxidants activities and healed Langerhans islets by increasing their number and size in comparison with diabetic control group. Conclusion: The present study showed that pumpkin powders may normalize the various biochemical and pancreatic tissues abnormalities resulted due to diabetes metabolic disorders and it is a source of potent anti-diabetic agent. The diabetic rats that were administered with the pumpkin fruit powder, exhibited the highest improvements.