Online - 2455-3891

Vol 11, Issue 2, 2018 Print - 0974-2441

Research Article

ANTIDIABETIC EFFECTS OF PUMPKIN (CUCURBITA MOSCHATA DURCH) FLESH AND SEEDS

EXTRACTS IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED MICE

NOVARIANTI MARBUN1*, PANAL SITORUS1, SITI MORIN SINAGA2

1
Department of Biological Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. 2Department of
Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. Email: marbun.nova1987@yahoo.com
Received: 17 August 2017, Revised and Accepted: 27 October 2017

ABSTRACT

Objective: The present study is to investigate the antidiabetic effect of pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic extracts in STZ-induced diabetic mice.

Methods: The study begins with making the ethanolic extracts of pumpkin flesh and seeds and then evaluates the physicochemical characterization,
phytochemical screening, and induced diabetic mice using STZ.

Result: The physicochemical evaluation shows that the extracts had a good and high purity level, while the phytochemical screening showed both
pumpkin flesh and seeds extracts have a various of phytoconstituents. The pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic extracts (dose level 150 mg/kg) showed
a significant reduction of the blood glucose.

Conclusion: Pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic extracts exhibited significant antidiabetes activity in STZ-induced mice.

Keywords: Antidiabetic, Diabetes mellitus, Pumpkin, Streptozotocin, Mice.

© 2018 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4. 0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i2.22023

INTRODUCTION Chinese people believe that pumpkin can be used to treat DM. The aim
of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of C. moschata Durch
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disorder of carbohydrate, fat, and
using the extracts of pumpkin flesh and seeds from ethanol solvent in
protein metabolism. The disease is characterized by the high levels of
STZ-induced diabetic mice.
blood glucose due to the absence of insulin or insulin resistance [1-3].
In the present day, there is a global increase in the prevalence of METHODS
DM which related to the lifestyle and obesity [4]. Since type 2 DM is
predicted to increase significantly in the next few years, its prevention Plant collection and identification
and treatment have urgent priority. World Health Organization (WHO) Fresh pumpkin flesh and seeds were collected from local area of Galang
has a projection that the prevalence of DM will increase to 370 million and authenticated by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences: Research
or more by the year 2030 [5]. Center for Biology.

The current epidemic of DM in the world, clearly indicates the Plant extraction preparation
urgent need to develop the new therapeutic drugs of cheaper and The dried pumpkin flesh and seeds (1 kg for each) was extracted by
more safety and available to face this health challenge. In spite of maceration method using an organic solvent (ethanol) for 7 days.
the availability of various antidiabetic agents and its secondary The maceration of pumpkin flesh and seeds extracts, then filtered
complications continue to become a major problem in the world continuously until the filtrate obtained is clear and colorless.
population, medicinal plants and their bioactive compound are used
as an alternative method to treat the diabetes patient throughout Physicochemical evaluation
the world and popular as nutraceutical [6,7]. There is considerable Analysis of physicochemical constants of the pumpkin flesh and seeds
need for safe agents that can reduce side effect for the DM patient. extracts has been performed to evaluate the quality and purity of the
Although certain drugs (such as metformin, acarbose, and orlistat) herbal drugs. Various physicochemical parameters such as total ash
have shown DM-preventive activity in large randomized studies, value, acid insoluble ash value, moisture content, alcohol, and water-
nutraceuticals have a good potential in this regard as well [8]. soluble extractive value were calculated as per the WHO and Indonesia
A number of plant products among which the protein-rich seeds Materia Medica guidelines [17,18].
including Citrullus lanatus, Cucurbita moschata, Lagenaria siceraria,
and Cucumeropsis mannii are commonly used in traditional medicine Preliminary phytochemical screening
against DM [9,10]. The ethanolic extracts of yellow pumpkin flesh and seeds were
subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening for examining
Pumpkin or C. moschata Durch is an important horticultural crop that various chemical secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, saponins,
belongs to family Cucurbitaceae. Pumpkin fruit is one of the widely flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, and steroids [19,20].
grown vegetables that are incredibly rich in vital antioxidants and
vitamin. This humble backyard low-calorie vegetable contains Vitamin Preparation of animals
A, flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants such as lutein, xanthin, and Healthy adult male mice (20-35 g body weight) from animal house of
carotenes in abundance [11,12]. Pumpkin is a traditional vegetable in Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sumatera Utara, were used for the
many countries and is believed to have a lot of health benefits such as study. The use of animals was approved by “Animal Research Ethics
anticancer, antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, and antimicrobial [13-16]. Committees (AREC) of University of Sumatera Utara (AREC Reg. No:
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Asian J Pharm Clin Res, Vol 11, Issue 2, 2018, 91-93

Table 1: Physicochemical evaluation result

Pumpkin Physicochemical evaluation

Total Ash value (%) Acid insoluble Ash (%) Moisture content (%) Extractive soluble values
Alcohol (%) Water (%)
Flesh extract 6.34 0.56 3.33 50.08 72.09
Seeds extract 1.45 0.09 1.19 54.92 40.82

796/KEPH-FMIPA/2016).” Mice were housed in a polycarbonate cages Table 2: Phytochemical screening result of pumpkin flesh and
under room temperature (20±2°C), relative humidity (60-70%) and seeds extract
were exposed to 12 h day-night circle. They were fed on a standard
pellet diet and water ad libitum. Screening Ethanolic extracts
Pumpkin flesh Pumpkin seeds
Experimental design
Experimental diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal Alkaloids Negative Negative
injection of 55 mg/kg of STZ, freshly dissolved in citrate buffer Flavonoids Positive Positive
(pH 4.5). After 3 days of STZ injection, mice with fasting glucose Saponins Positive Positive
above 200 mg/dl were considered as diabetic and included in the Tannins Positive Positive
study (Marbun, 2017). Triterpenoid/steroids Positive Positive

The animals were divided into five groups of three animals for each
group were used in this experiment:
Group I: Normal control animals are given normal pellet and CMC
0.5% b/v.
Group II: Diabetic mice.
Group III: M ice were induced by STZ and treated with metformin
(65 mg/kg).
Group IV: Mice were induced by STZ and treated with ethanolic pumpkin
flesh extract (150 mg/kg).
Group V: Mice were induced by STZ and treated with ethanolic pumpkin
seeds extract (150 mg/kg).

The extract was given daily through oral way for a period of 15 days.
Fig. 1: Effect of pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic extract on
Statistical analysis
blood glucose level in diabetic mice (mg/dl)
The glucose levels were determined by triplicates and expressed
as a mean ± standard error of mean. The significant difference of
data between different groups was compared by ANOVA followed by
many phytochemical constituents such as flavonoids, tannis, steroids,
Duncan’s test.
terpenoids, and saponins.
RESULTS
STZ or streptozotocin is a potent diabetogenic agent and widely used
Physicochemical evaluation for inducing the diabetes in a variety of animal models. STZ destroys
Table 1 summarizes the result of physicochemical evaluation from the pancreatic insulin secreting β-cells, resulting in a disease in insulin
pumpkin flesh and seeds extracts. release which can make DM. The antidiabetes results indicated that
the ethanolic extract of pumpkin flesh and seeds showed a significant
Phytochemical screening of pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic antidiabetic activity which almost the same as metformin. The high
extracts antidiabetic effect of these extracts was probably due to the presence
Screening results of pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic extract showed of several chemical compounds and their synergistic properties effect.
different chemical compound in the different extract. The results can be The possible mechanism by which pumpkin brings out its antidiabetic
shown in Table 2. action maybe potentiating and stimulate the insulin secretion from
pancreatic β-cells [21]. Another possibility is because the flavonoids
Effect of pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic extracts on diabetic can protect the DNA from the oxidative damage, so it can resist the
mice problem in β-cell [22-24].
STZ induced diabetic mice exhibiting persistent the diabetes or
hyperglycemia was selected for the assessing the effect of pumpkin CONCLUSIONS
flesh and seeds ethanolic extract (blood glucose >200 mg/dl). Table 3
and Fig. 1 show the level of blood glucose at various intervals to observe C. moschata Durch flesh and seeds extracts produced significant blood
the effect of different treatment using pumpkin flesh and seeds extracts glucose reducing effect in diabetic mice. Both of flesh and seeds extract
and metformin. could lower the glucose levels to the normal state. Therefore, this
extract could be used in the pharmaceutical industry for development
DISCUSSION of drug formulations.

The result of physicochemical evaluation shows that the extracts ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

were made with a good quality and high purity level, which accepted
by the WHO, while the phytochemical screening results show that the This work and publication were supported by The Faculty of Pharmacy
ethanolic extracts of pumpkin flesh and seeds revealed the presence of and Iksen, S.Farm., M.Si.

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Asian J Pharm Clin Res, Vol 11, Issue 2, 2018, 91-93

Table 3: Effect of pumpkin flesh and seeds ethanolic extracts on blood glucose level in diabetic mice

Group Blood glucose level (mg/dl)

0h 3rd day 5th day 7th day 9th day 11th day 13th day 15th day
I 84±5.34 86±3.92 89.67±3.54 86.67±5.81 87.33±5.60 87±3.93 88±6.09 89.06±6.37
II 303±3.92* 311.3±6.53* 311±3.93* 317.33±3.89* 322±4.17* 329.3±4.51* 329.33±4.46* 328.66±5.81*
III 300±3.1 217.6±4.3** 154.3±4.13** 127.6±4.17** 116.67±3.92** 108.67±6.51** 103.33±2.25** 100.67±6.09**
IV 304.33±2.99 266.67±3.87** 212±3.05** 118.33±6.43** 113±2.90** 102.67±6.28** 96.67±1.37** 89.33±2.99**
V 304.67±4.1 206±2.1** 118.33±3.89** 101.67±5.34** 93±4.65** 86.33±7,21** 79.33±7.77** 74.33±3.6**
Values are given as mean±SEM for three mice in each group. *p<0.001 diabetic group was compared with normal group. **p<0.001 was compared with diabetic group

AUTHORS COCONTRIBUTIONS Alexandria: ASHS Press; 2002. p. 373-9.

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of nutritional components and utilization of pumpkin. Food
None declared. 2007;1:313-21.
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