世界知名食材南瓜作為運動增補劑來源之探討

Investigation of a World-Renowned Food Material, Pumpkin, as an Ergogenic Aid

南瓜為目前世界著名食材之一，在植物分類上屬於葫蘆科南瓜屬，而在營養學上則歸類為五穀根莖類（即主食類）之一種。在中國傳統醫療宣稱南瓜具有驅蟲、治高血壓、治浮腫、腹水、小便不暢、膀胱問題、治燒傷、消炎止痛的作用、治呼吸系統疾病以及解毒等療效。然而在近幾年的文獻資料顯示，包括流行病學調查、體外細胞試驗、體內動物實驗，甚至是臨床研究，皆有針對南瓜萃取物或植化物報導其具有調節血糖、抗血壓、抗氧化、預防腫瘤、降低動脈粥狀化與免疫調節等功用。最近我們研究成果也顯示南瓜果實酒精抽出物具有抗疲勞之功效。此外，南瓜加工品包括南瓜籽、南瓜乾、南瓜粉以及含南瓜之綜合果汁等廣泛的副產品。由於南瓜為經濟栽培作物，產量多、價格低、四季供應穩定，且具有豐富多樣化的活性植化物，如果能夠開發成為抗疲勞食品或運動增補劑等保健用途，相信有利於提升本土農業與運動生技產業之產值。

Pumpkin is one of the well-known ingredients in the world. It is a gourd-like squash of the genus 'Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae' by plant taxonomy, and is classified as one kind of the staple foods according to its nutritional value. In traditional Chinese medicine, it claims to have the beneficial effects of de-worming, treatment of hypertension, governance edema, ascites, poor urine, bladder problems, cure burns, anti-inflammatory analgesic effect, treatment of respiratory disease and detoxification. In addition, epidemiological studies, in-vitro or in-vivo based researches, as well as clinical trials, are reported that the phytocompounds extracted from pumpkin can regulate blood sugar level, antihypertension, antitumor, anti-hypercholesterolemia, immunodulatory function. Our recent study also showed that pumpkin supplementation could be as an effective anti-fatigue agent. Its processing products usually include pumpkin seeds, dried pumpkin, pumpkin powder and their related products such as pumpkin juice. Since pumpkin is one of the major crops for economical cultivating and due to its unique characteristic such as mass production, low price, stable provision for all seasons and therefore it is suggested that it could be used for developing as an anti-fatigue agent or ergogenic aids. Therefore, pumpkin has great potential to increase the economic activity for local agricultural and benefit the sports biotech industry.