Accelerated oil oxidation and degraded fatty acids (FA) composition are considered as well-known consequencesin oilseed crops resulting from the imposed aging conditions. Hence, evaluating the effective techniques andunderstanding the biological mechanisms associated to mitigating seed deterioration process in medicinalpumpkin (Cucurbita peposubsp. Pepo.Convar. Pepo var.styriacaGreb) may be necessary. In the current study,different durations of artificial accelerated aging (0, 48, 72, and 96 h) and priming solutions (water priming ascontrol andγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) priming at 1, 2, and 3 mmol L−1) were tested. From the results, asignificant decrease in oil percentage and seedling dry weight was observed with increasing seed aging duration,whereas malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage significantly increased. Moreover, with increasingseed deterioration severity, percentage of saturated FA (SFA) significantly increased, while mono- and poly-unsaturated FA (MUFA and PUFA) decreased. In contrast, GABA priming alleviated the deleterious effects ofseed deterioration on seedling growth and FA composition. For instance, after 96-h aging period, GABA primingat 3 mmol L−1decreased SFA/MUFA and SFA/PUFA by 14.2 and 13.3%, respectively, compared with control.Overall, the results obtained here may confirm the crucial role of GABA priming to improve the successfulestablishment of seedlings raised from medicinal pumpkin seeds.

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