Objective To solve the problem that pumpkin seed oil (PSO) prepared by critical fluid extraction contains more impurities, this paper employs two types of SiO₂ to refine the PSO at low temperature and study the influence of them on the quality characteristics of the oil.Methods Gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, and ultraviolet spectroscopy are adopted to analyze and compare the quality difference of PSO prepared from two critical fluids and the influence of low-temperature refining treatment of SiO₂ on PSO quality characteristics.Results The results show that the fatty acid content and composition of PSO extracted by two critical fluids are similar, and PSO prepared by the subcritical extraction contains more α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, total phenols, β-carotene, and higher antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, PSO prepared by the supercritical extraction includes higher squalene and sterol content. After two types of SiO₂ refining treatment, the most fatty acid content in PSO remains basically unchanged (P>0.05), but the acid value, peroxide value, and color decrease. Additionally, both trace active ingredients and antioxidant activity in PSO are significantly reduced (P<0.05). Among them, the loss of trace active ingredients in PSO ranges from 8.9% to 24.6%, while the loss rates of OSI, DPPH, and FRAP are between 3.2% and 7.4%, 13.2% and 26.5%, and 15.3% and 26.4% respectively. In addition, after PSO is refined with two types of SiO₂, the total amount of phospholipids is reduced by more than 85%. The results of principal component analysis and clustering analysis show that the preparation process and low-temperature refining treatment of SiO₂ have significant effects on the quality characteristics of PSO.Conclusion SiO₂ refining treatment can significantly improve the quality characteristics of PSO prepared by critical fluid extraction.