CHAPTER ONE
1.0     INTRODUCTION
Pumpkin leaves, fruits and flowers are all protective health giving foods. They contain vitamins and minerals that the body needs to stay healthy. The dark green pumpkin leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A. The body needs vitamin A for proper growth, health eyes and protection from disease. The pumpkin leaves are also a good source of calcium, vitamin C, Iron and protein. Calcium helps to make strong bones and teeth. Vitamin C keeps the body tissue. Iron helps in keeping the body healthy and the body also needs protein to grow and stay healthy. Pumpkin leaves have much more of vitamin A and Vitamin C. pumpkin flowers can also be eaten for it contains more of vitamin A source. The most nutrients of all pumpkin foods are the leaves. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and also vitamin B (Thiamin) and niacin. Vitamin B and niacin helps the body convert carbohydrate into energy and heat (Anee, 2001).
Pumpkins are use for food. The tender leaves and stems, flowers, fruits and seed of pumpkin can all be eaten. Pumpkin leaves can be stored up to six months but can be achieved when they are not touching each other. It is being preserved by drying or freezing. Drying pumpkin must be done carefully in order to kill all their microorganism that would make it spoils. It needs to be dried in hot sun so that it dries quickly before if spoils. Pumpkin leaves also contain a great amount of vitamin A that is vital for a proper growth, healthy eyes and protection form disease. More ever, pumpkin leaves are great source of calcium and they can be prepared in many ways. First of all, leaves should be washed every time before cooking and placed in boiling water (Roberts et al, 2006).
A pumpkin is a gourd like squash of the genus Cucurbitaand the family Cucurbitaceae which also include gourds. It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cueurbita mitta, Cucurbita mayima and is native to North America. They typically have a thick, orange or yellow shell, creased from the stem to the bottom, containing the seeds and pulp. A pumpkin leaves is an important food for many people. It is a very vulnerable because most parts of the plant can be eaten and are rich in nutrients. Pumpkin is easy to grow and one plant in garden can supply pumpkins and green leaves throughout the year. They grow all round the world for a variety of reasons (George et al, 2008).