The determination of some biological activities of Cucurbita pepo leaves

This thesis aims to conclude the antioxidant activity of Cucurbita pepo (a kind of pumpkin fruit) leaves in vitro to grade Cucurbita pepo leaves as a potential source of antioxidant phytochemicals vegetables because of containing many vitamins and minerals that can be utilized for decreasing or treatment of the threat of various diseases such as cardiac diseases, nervous disorders, cancer, diabetes mellitus and gouty arthritis, etc. Material and methods: this study is accomplished for determining antioxidant activity for ethanol, as well as acetone extracts of Cucurbita pepo leaves, the antioxidant, the antioxidants vitamin contents, the anticancer, as well as the antimicrobial activities of the leaves were determined. Results: The results of our study revealed that the Cucurbita pepo leaves acetone and ethanolic extracts had high radical scavenging activities against ABTS+•, OH•, and DPPH• radicals, Furthermore the results of our study showed that the leaves extracts had a high total flavonoid, total phenolic content. The results of our study also revealed that the leaves extracts content of vitamins had only trace amounts of vitamin A and E, but had no vitamin C content. And the vitamins showed no antioxidant effect from vitamins (C, A, and E) of the extracts samples treated with saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and against MDA. The results of our study also revealed that the acetone and ethanolic leaves extracts samples had no effect on hepatocellular carcinoma, while the acetone leaves extracts decreasd breast cancer effects, and the ethanolic extract showed a higher effect decreasing human breast cancer than Doxorubicin which is a breast cancer therapy. And finally the antimicrobial activity was as the following: the acetone extract of the leaves showed activity against all the bacteria and fungus strains, the antimicrobial activity of the acetone extract against the E.coli strain was: 47.36%, the K. pneumonia: 75%, the B. megaterium: 64%, the S. aureus: 57.8%, and the C. albicans: 58.3% . While the antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves showed activity only against the B. megaterium: 60%, the S. aureus: 47.36%, and the C. albicans: 58.3%, but showed no effects against the E.coli and the K. pneumonia strains. Conclusion: Our experiments, reviled that Cucurbita pepo leaves contain significant phytochemicals, that have numerous significant health benefits, as well as having the ability to reduce or inhibit several diseases. And finally Our experimental results showed that Cucurbita pepo leaves have antibacterial and fungicidal properties, due to the saponins, tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids contents of Cucurbita pepo leaves. Keywords: Antioxidant, Cucurbita pepo leaves, Phytochemicals, Vitamins, Minerals.