Pumpkin, scientific name Cucurbitaspp, is an annual vine herb of Cucurbitaceae. According to its origin and characters, it can be divided into Chinese pumpkin (commonly known as Japanese pumpkin, pumpkin, etc.), Indian pumpkin (commonly known as bamboo shoot pumpkin, stirred pumpkin, etc.) and American pumpkin (commonly known as zucchini). Pumpkin fruit is rich in starch, fat, reducing sugar, various amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Modern research shows that pumpkin also contains many effective factors such as cancer prevention and treatment. Therefore, in recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the efficacy research of pumpkin efficacy factors and the development of corresponding functional foods.

Pumpkin is rich in nutrition, and the nutritional components and contents in each 100g fresh pumpkin are shown in the table.

Nutritional components of pumpkin and their content /mg

Nutrient content

Carbohydrate /g 4.5 vitamin D 0.4

Protein /g 0.7 K 745

Fat /g 0. 1 P 24

Citrulline /g 20.9 Ca 16

Dietary fiber /g 0.8 Mg 8

Carotene /ug 890 Na 0.8

Vitamin C 4 Se 0.46

Vitamin E 0.36 Fe 0.46

Vitamin B 10.03 Zn 0. 14

Vitamin B20.04 moisture /g 93.5

Pumpkin is rich in carotene, vitamins, glucose, calcium, iron and starch, among which the content of pumpkin is 8-20 times that of watermelon, which is a high-quality source of vitamin A. In addition, pumpkin also contains citrulline, arginine, aspartic acid, trigonelline, cucurbitacine, fat, soluble fiber and mannitol. The pectin content of pumpkin is high, accounting for 7%-17% of the dry matter content of pumpkin, but the fat content is low, accounting for about 2%. The heat of pumpkin is close to that of wheat and corn, while that of protein is equivalent to that of kidney bean and watercress, and the content of vitamin A is equivalent to that of tomato, and the content of vitamin C is higher than that of cucumber. Pumpkin is rich in pectin, pentosan, mannitol, amino acids (citrulline, aspartic acid, etc.), vitamins (vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B, etc.) and minerals (Fe, P, Se, etc.), and also contains alkaloids, cucurbitacine, trigonelline, soluble fiber, lutein and other physiological active substances and nutrients.

Second, the medicinal value of pumpkin

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pumpkin is warm and sweet, and it has the effects of tonifying the middle warmer, benefiting qi, diminishing inflammation and relieving pain, detoxicating and killing insects. Modern medical research has found that pumpkin also has many medicinal values. CTY, the effective component in pumpkin, can increase the content of protein of Glut-Z which is lacking in pancreatic cells of diabetic patients, thus promoting the secretion of insulin, which is a good dietotherapy product for controlling and adjuvant treatment of diabetes and diseases such as nephropathy, liver disease and hypertension caused by diabetes. Japanese scientists call 100g vegetables with more than 600ug of carotene as yellow-green vegetables, which have health care functions, while 100g Neng8 contains 1. 1, and the excellent varieties are as high as 2.2. According to another scholar's investigation, diabetics who eat100-500 g pumpkin every day for 30 days get better in different degrees. This is because pumpkin contains unique ingredients such as trigonelline and polysaccharide, which can stimulate insulin secretion and regulate endocrine. At the same time, pumpkin is rich in pectin and soluble cellulose, which can combine with excess cholesterol in the body, reduce blood lipid, reduce the cancer risk caused by nitrosamine compounds to a certain extent, and enhance the repair ability of liver and kidney cells. Therefore, pumpkin is also called "health food for the elderly". Pumpkin is rich in citrulline, which can drive away parasites, and has a certain effect on the treatment of schistosomiasis and advanced schistosomiasis ascites. In addition, pumpkin also has the functions of improving eyesight, reducing blood fat and treating asthma. Long-term consumption of pumpkin and its products (such as pumpkin powder, etc.) can treat inflammation of prostate and liver, atherosclerosis, prevent gastric ulcer and promote healing, promote bile secretion, enhance the regeneration ability of liver and kidney cells, and prevent side secret and postpartum edema of women.

Compendium of Materia Medica also records the medical functions of pumpkin, such as "invigorating the middle energizer and benefiting qi", "moistening the lung and resolving phlegm", and has the functions of being warm and sweet in nature, moistening the lung, entering the spleen and stomach meridian, diminishing inflammation and relieving pain, detoxicating and expelling worms. It is suitable for burns and scalds, and also has certain curative effects on hepatitis, nephritis, insect repellent, pertussis, erysipelas, diphtheria, sunshine disease and chilblain.

Pumpkin fruit has many uses. Besides being used as vegetables, the pulp can also be used to make various delicious foods, such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin steamed bread, pumpkin bread, pumpkin beverage, pumpkin sauce, pumpkin sweet soup, pumpkin cup, pumpkin wine and so on. Pumpkins also have some special uses. First, black-seeded pumpkin and some special pumpkin varieties have strong resistance to melon blight, and have been widely used as rootstocks of cucumbers, watermelons, melons and white melons, becoming excellent rootstocks for grafting cultivation. Second, some pumpkins with huge or small fruits, bright colors and special shapes are suitable for garden viewing or making various exquisite handicrafts, which are quite popular.