A review on biochemical constituents of pumpkin and their role as pharma foods; a key strategy to improve health in post COVID 19 period

• Published in: Food production, processing and nutrition processing and nutrition, 2023-03, Vol.5 (1), p.1-14, Article 22
• Main Authors: Hussain, Ashiq, Kausar, Tusneem, Sehar, Sawera, Sarwar, Ayesha, Quddoos, Muhammad Yousaf, Aslam, Jawed, Liaqat, Atif, Siddique, Tahira, An, Qurat Ul, Kauser, Samina, Rehman, Abdul, Nisar, Rizwan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carotenoids; Coronaviruses; COVID 19; Diet; Dietary minerals; Eating behavior; Essential oils; Fatty acids; Food; Fruits; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Immune system; Mental disorders; Mental health; Metabolism; Metabolites; Oils; Pandemics; Peptides; Phytochemicals; Polysaccharides; Proteins; Pumpkin; Pumpkins; Review; Saccharides; Seeds; Selenium; Vegetables; Viruses; Vitamins; Zinc
• ISSN: 2661-8974; 2661-8974
• DOI: 10.1186/s43014-023-00138-z

Progression of today’s world has been given setback due to the adversity of a novel, viral, deadly outbreak COVID 19, which raised the concerns of the scientists, researchers and health related officials about the inherent and adaptive immune system of the living body and its relation with healthy diet balanced with pharma foods. Now world is coming out of the destructive pandemic era, the choice of right food can help to build and boost adaptive immunity and pumpkin due to excellent profile of functional and nutraceutical constituents could be the part of both infected and non-infected person’s daily diet. Vitamins like A, C and E, minerals like zinc, iron and selenium, essential oils, peptides, carotenoids and polysaccharides present in pumpkin could accommodate the prevailing deficiencies in the body to fought against the viral pathogens. In current post COVID 19 scenario adequate supply of healthy diet, balanced with pharma foods could play a basic role in boosting immune system of the populations. This review covers the pharmacological activities of pumpkin functional constituents in relation with COVID 19 pandemic. Pumpkins are well equipped with nutraceuticals and functional bioactives like tocopherols, polyphenols, terpenoids and lutein therefore, consumption and processing of this remarkable vegetable could be encouraged as pharma food due to its antihyperlipidemic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. Need of healthy eating in current post COVID 19 period is very crucial for healthy population, and medicinal foods like pumpkin could play a vital role in developing a healthy community around the globe. Graphical Abstract