Isolation and Identification of two Cucurbitacins B and E, and Detection of Phytosterols in Cucurbita pepo L. var. pepo (Pumpkin) Leaves Extract

Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin), a Cucurbitaceae membered plant, is considered one of the oldest cultivated plants; it has been cultivated about 7,000 to 5,500 BC. Traditionally, C. pepo is cultivated from very close to sea level in semi-dry climates, to others, which are cultivated at altitudes greater than 2,000 meters. Ethnopharmacological studies show that C. pepo is used in many countries for treating several diseases, e.g., as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, urinary disorders, anti-ulcer, anti-diabetic, and anti-oxidant. C. pepo leaves extracted with 90% methanol by maceration with continuous shaking at room temperature for three days. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), (analytical and preparative) high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid mass chromatography used for isolation and identification of two Cucurbitacins from C. pepo (pumpkin) leaves methanolic extract and detection of phytosterols. Cucurbitacins are triterpenes based structure isolated from many members of Cucurbitaceae families and other plants. Cucurbitacins exhibit polar properties, so they are isolated from plant extracts, which are extracted with methanol. Cucurbitacins exhibit anti-cancer activity, anti-atherosclerotic activity, and anti-arthritis activity, so Cucurbitacins may be an important lead molecule for future new medicinal preparation.