Effect of solvent extraction on the anti-complementary activities of green and ripe Cucurbita moschata duch

Abstract

The edible part of Cucurbita moschata Duch, which is commonly used as a Korean traditional medicine as well as a popular food source, was studied to isolate anti-complementary substances. Extracts of Cucurbita moschata Duch showed significant anti-complementary activities on the classical pathway of the complement system. Especially, the ripe Cucurbita moschata Duch had more activity than that of the green one in terms of the overall anti-complementary activity. Among the extracts of various organic solvents of the ripe Cucurbita moschata Duch, chloroform and ethyl-acetate extracts, which are non-polar solvent extracts, showed the strongest activities. These results suggest that the major difference in the solvent extraction for the anti-complementary substances depends on the change in the chemical composition such as the fatty acid with the degree of ripening.