Table 1.

Summarized data regarding the botanical sources and potential pharmacological effects of cucurbitacins

Cucurbitacins/Sources	Pharmacological effects	Refs.
Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)	Anticancer potential against liver cancer HepG2 cell	[28]
Cucurbita moschata (Butternut Squash)	Anticancer potential ↓cells tumour growth ↑ribosome-inactivating proteins	[17, 29, 30]
Cucumis melo (Melon)	Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiulcer, anticancer, antimicrobial, diuretic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, immunomodulator	[17, 29, 30]
Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon)	Antidiabetes	[33]
Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin)	Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, analgesic Anti-carcinogenic, anti-proliferative Pro-apoptotic properties against tumor cells	[17, 34]
Iberis amara (Wild candytuft)	Anti-inflammatory	[39, 40]
Coutarea hexandra (Coutarea)	Treatment of malaria, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes	[15]
Begonia nantoensis	Cytotoxic effect against cancer cell lines	[43]
Kageneckia oblonga (Bollen)	Analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory	[44, 45]
Rubus chingii (Chinese raspberry fruit)	Anti-ageing, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic	[46]
Russula lepida (Russula)	Antitumor activity	[50]
Dorid nudibranchs	Cytotoxicity against cancer cells	[54]