Phytochemical characterization and anti-obesity potential of Portulaca oleracea L. and Cucurbita moschata seeds in rat models
Abstract Obesity is a major health problem and can lead to many diseases. The current study highlighted the effectiveness of Cucurbita moschata (pumpkin) seeds, Portulaca oleracea (purslane) seeds, and a mixture of them in managing lipid accumulation and obesity, as well as investigating their phytoconstituents. For the induction of obesity, normal rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks. Obese rats were fed a diet enriched with purslane, pumpkin, or a mix of them to study their anti-obesity effect. Body weight increased by 13.88%, 14.75%, and 16.03% in these groups, respectively, compared to HFD control (31.70%). Histopathological results revealed notable damage to the liver and kidneys of HFD control. The purslane-fed group showed amelioration in their liver and kidney, while the pumpkin and mix groups showed marked improvement in kidney tissue and mild effects on the liver. Furthermore, fourteen and sixteen polyphenolic compounds were identified in 70% ethanol extracts of pumpkin and purslane seeds, respectively, using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode of liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization - tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS). Vanillin and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid are found to be the major compounds in pumpkin and purslane extracts, respectively. In conclusion, pumpkin and purslane seeds may serve as natural alternatives for managing obesity. Graphical abstract
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