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Oct. 29, 2009 5:13 PM PT _This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts._ In the spirit of the season, we
report on a new study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that describes the antimicrobial properties of pumpkin skins. South Korean researchers at the Research Center for
Proteineous Materials at Chosun University mushed up pumpkin rinds and subjected the fungus _Candida albicans_ to an extract of several proteins found in the extract. They identified a
protein (Pr-2, which we like to imagine stands for ‘pumpkin rind 2’) in the extract that strongly inhibited the growth of _C. albicans_, suggesting that it could be developed into an
anti-fungal therapy. Candida causes vaginal yeast infections and diaper rash. The scientists also note in the paper that pumpkins have been used in traditional medicine and that ‘the
antibiotic effects of pumpkin have been analyzed, along with its antidiabetic, antihypertension, antitumor, antibacterial, antiinflammatory and antimutagenic effects.’ Sounds like another
darn superfruit! (This appears to be becoming a pretty crowded category...) --Rosie Mestel _Photo Credit: Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images_