Bioactive profile of pumpkin: an overview on terpenoids and their health-promoting properties

Pumpkins belong to the family Cucurbitaceae, a medicinally and economically important plant group. In fact, some of them are cultivated both for their edible fruits than for the cure of a wide array of health-related problems. Cucurbitaceae produce the so-called cucurbitacins, important compounds with curative effects. Furthermore, they are responsible for the bitter taste and the toxicity of the plants. In the cucurbits, and in particular in the pumpkins, there is a significant quantity of terpenoid-metabolites with remarkable biological properties. Among the most represented terpenoids, there are triterpenes, to which cucurbitacins and other similar molecules belong, tetraterpenes represented essentially by carotenoids, and some sesquiterpenes. This review is focused on the investigation of the main Cucurbitaceae terpenes, together with related biological and health activities.