A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON CUCURBITA PEPO L.: PHARMACOGNOSTICAL CHARACTERIZATION, PHYTOCHEMISTRY, NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION, TOXICITY PROFILE AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae), commonly known as pumpkin, squash, or zucchini, is an economically important food crop with a long history of traditional medicinal use and increasing scientific interest due to its diverse phytochemical composition and therapeutic potential. This review provides a comprehensive pharmacognostic overview of C. pepo, integrating current knowledge on its taxonomy, botanical description, macroscopic and microscopic diagnostic characteristics, powder microscopy, ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities. The species is characterized by distinctive pharmacognostic features, including bicollateral vascular bundles, glandular and non-glandular trichomes, schizogenous secretory ducts, and characteristic seed testa anatomy, which are valuable for authentication and quality control. Phytochemical investigations have identified a broad spectrum of bioactive constituents, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols (predominantly Δ7-sterols), cucurbitacins, carotenoids, tocopherols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and other triterpenoids that collectively contribute to its biological activities. Experimental and clinical evidence demonstrates significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antiulcer, anticancer, anthelmintic, and benign prostatic hyperplasia-relieving properties, supporting many of its traditional therapeutic applications. Despite extensive research, available information remains fragmented, with considerable variation in plant parts investigated, extraction methods, and pharmacological evaluation, limiting the standardization and clinical translation of C. pepo-based phytopharmaceuticals. This review consolidates the existing evidence into a unified pharmacognostic framework, highlights the relationship between phytochemical constituents and pharmacological effects, identifies current knowledge gaps, and emphasizes the need for standardized quality control parameters, comprehensive pharmacognostic profiling, and well-designed clinical studies to facilitate the development of safe, effective, and evidence-based herbal formulations derived from C. pepo.