Cucurbitin
Encyclopedia
Cucurbitin is an amino acid
Amino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...

 and a carboxypyrrolidine
Pyrrolidine
Pyrrolidine, also known as tetrahydropyrrole, is an organic compound with the molecular formula C4H9N. It is a cyclic secondary amine with a five-membered heterocycle containing four carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom...

 that can eliminate parasitic worms. It is found in Cucurbita
Cucurbita
Cucurbita is a genus in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae first cultivated in Mesoamerica and now used in many parts of the world. It includes species grown for their fruit and edible seeds , as well as some species grown only as gourds...

seeds. In 1992, a patent was filed to use the (-)-enantiomer in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
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