AMELIORATIVE EFFECTS OF <i>CUCURBITA PEPO</i> L. SEED OIL ON INFLAMMATION AND OXIDATIVE STRESS INDUCED BY HIGH-CHOLESTEROL DIET IN MALE WISTAR RATS

Inflammation and oxidative stress are core contributors to the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases associated with dyslipidemia. The need to modulate these processes through dietary interventions remains a promising strategy. This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Cucurbita pepo Linn (pumpkin) seed oil in male Wistar rats fed on high-cholesterol diets. Thirty-six rats were randomly assigned into six dietary groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were fed diets based on palm oil (Control group), high-cholesterol diet containing palm oil and diet based on pumpkin seed oil respectively, while groups 4, 5 and 6 were respectively fed diets based on palm and pumpkin seed oils, high-cholesterol diet containing pumpkin seed oil and high-cholesterol diet containing palm and pumpkin seed oils. At the end of the ninth week, the rats were sacrificed and blood collected into plain bottles. Serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, as well as oxidative stress markers including SOD, CAT, GPx, GR, melatonin, CoQ10, and MDA, were measured and analysed. Rats fed high-cholesterol diets exhibited significantly elevated inflammatory markers (CRP, TNF-α, IL-1β) and compromised antioxidant defences, with reduced enzymatic activity and increased MDA levels. However, supplementation with pumpkin seed oil—alone or combined with palm oil—attenuated these effects, improving antioxidant enzyme activity, restoring melatonin and CoQ10 levels, and reducing MDA and inflammatory cytokines. Pumpkin seed oil demonstrates potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that counteract cholesterol-induced metabolic disturbances. Its inclusion in cholesterol-rich diets may mitigate systemic inflammation and oxidative damage.