Effect of high ingestion of dehydrated pumklin (Cucurbita pepo L. ) on the cholesterol metabolism and on the hepatic histology in mice

The hypercholesterolemia is one of the most relevant risk factors in atherosclerosis, the latter being responsible for a high mortality in most Western countries. A high intake of foods from plant origin is one of the recommendations for the control of hypercholesterolemia, probably because of their fiber content. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of the ingestion a pumpkin-based diet on cholesterol levels. Fifty mices were divided in three groups: I, animals fed on normocholesterolemic control diet: II, animals fed on a hypercholesterolemic diet; III, animals fed on a hypercholesterolemic diet containing dehydrated pumpkin during 8 weeks. The results showed that dehydrated pumpkin, when administered in high concentration in the diet, reduced the levels of plasmatic and hepatic cholesterol but may caue relevant lesions in liver. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the right proportion of pumpkin to reduce the cholesterolemia without undesirable effects. This study reinforces the need for the continuous support of an experienced histopathologist to detect eventual damage that are not evident on macroscopic examination in all nutritional studies involving tests with diets